


Everything

by jenny95k



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: M/M, Post-Season/Series 05 AU, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-18 01:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 52,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9359792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenny95k/pseuds/jenny95k
Summary: Stefan and Klaus were linked to each other since the first time they met. They both knew it, but their is a crooked love and the way for happiness is very far.Would Stefan and Klaus find a way for their happy ending ? Or would they destroy each other instead ?





	1. Chapter 1

  
Chicago 1920…

Stefan’s never felt so humiliated, so angry, so sad, so… broken.  
He didn’t know, or better, he did know how all happened, but he didn’t know how him could let all this happen. He was a vampire, he lived longer than all of his friends, he lived in other ages, he should have been wiser, smarter but know he was sure that, not matter how many times he would have been disappointed, hurt, disillusioned, he would have repeated everything over and over again, only because of Klaus.  
Klaus Mikaelson was Stefan’s worst weakness. He’s always been, he always would be.  
Even now that he could feel his memories taken aways from him by the man he learnt to love with all himself, despite it happen in that period made only of darkness, blood and violence, he knew that he will continue to love Klaus anyway, because a part of him would never forget anything. A part of him would remember the original’s face forever, he would remember their firs meeting, when he couldn’t stand the other’s presence after Klaus rude comment about his hair, when the only way they communicated was through sarcastic comments, poisoned words and false words of reverence which hided the mutual distaste. But now that Stefan was trying to grab all that memories and lock them up in his a deep part of his mind, he understood that he has loved Klaus since the beginning even if he didn’t want to admit.  
He loved him while he was dancing with Rebecca and he couldn’t stop himself staring at the hybrid, wondering about his lips and about how much wonderful would be kissing his lips, touching his body, moaning under him… but he repressed his forbidden desire and continued to pretended not to feel at all. But at some point, pretending became useless, especially with someone so perceptive like the original Hybrid, especially after that night when, after they made a photo together and Stefan convinced Klaus to go home with him, he revealed to Klaus his darkest secret, the list, his list, with all his victims’ name on it.

…

_“You’re family only envy you, they want you dead because they can’t be unique and special like you. Because no one of them will be just like you” said Stefan._

_“Like what ? An abomination ?” asked Klaus avoiding the other’s gaze._

_“No, not at all” said Stefan placing an hand on other’s arm “A King”._

_Then Klaus looked Stefan in a strange way, almost like he was truly seeing the other vampire for the first time since they met, and Klaus felt his heart melted under the adoration, the loyalty and respect of Stefan’s beautiful eyes. In that moment, Klaus thought that no one had looked him in that way for a long time and he felt so strange._  
_How could be that a normal infant vampire, not particularly strong, was capable of making him feel unexplainable feelings that he’s never felt in his life before. What could it be ? Affection ? Respect ?Friendship ? Love ?_  
_Klaus always thought he didn’t need anyone to be okay with his life, it was a way to protect himself from useless disappointing relations with other people. Everyone who he met in his life, abandoned or disappointed him inevitably. His mother, his father, his brothers… Aurora… Katherine… everyone, who he had loved, brake his heart. And now ? Stefan Salvatore was an insignificant vampire, but he was also so magnificent. He was a ripper, he taught him new tricks and tortures and he didn’t think he was an abomination. Stefan was… special, different from anyone else and sometimes Klaus was afraid of him. Not because as Stefan was a treat, he could easily defeat him, but he was afraid of what Stefan could have became for him._  
_Would he survived if Stefan brake his heart like everyone else ? Would he put it up with it ? Would he heal this time ?_  
_At some point a guy with a camera came near them and Stefan asked him to make a photo to him and his brother._  
_Brother.. that word made Klaus’ heart lost a beat. No one, except Rebekah, had considered him like a brother. Elijah abandoned him, Finn despised his vampire nature and, for consequences, he despised him, Kol… well, Klaus daggered him so their relationship wasn’t at it’s best either. And when they found out that Klaus was the result of an adultery of his mother with an another man, something inside of his family brake down forever. No matter how many time Rebekah and Elijah swore to him “Always and forever” , they always ended up. tearing other down. This is what he’s always done, destroying everything and everyone around him._  
_But now, while Klaus was smiling at Stefan’s side, he thought how could he been capable of hurting him ? The first guy from ever who saw him like a king. the guy who showed him true affection._  
_Stefan, on the other hand, was surprised himself for his audacity. He didn’t think he would have the courage to surround Klaus’s neck, since Klaus’s always seemed to him something too much precious to be touched by him, but he didn’t regretted anyway. He was happy when he was with Klaus, happy for the first time in ages. Klaus made him feel happy, and he hoped that Klaus cared about him, even if it was almost impossible. Klaus was stronger than him, more powerful than him, more beautiful than him, Klaus was simply more, to much for him. He was also cruel and heartless, according to Rebekah, and even if he had decide to give his heart to someone, Stefan was sure he wouldn’t have been the lucky one._  
_But now he was sure that Klaus considered him as a brother, and for now it was enough. Maybe even enough to share his darkest secret with him. His victims’ list, their name, how he killed them, a mark for every human life taken by the Ripper of Monterey. Would Klaus be proud of him ? Impressioned ? Pleased ?_  
_He hoped, because that list was a secret part of his life, a secret he swore himself never tell anyone about. But Klaus wasn’t anyone, he was his friend, his confident, his brother. He could trust him, he knew it._

_“Would you come home with me ? I wanna show you something funny” Stefan proposed after drinking another glass of whiskey._

_“Why not ? Maybe we can also entertain us along the way. I’m tired of drinking and I wouldn’t mind to eat something” answered Klaus with his famous evil smirk on his lips._

_“Yeah, it will be a great opportunity to add a name” said Stefan while the two of them were leaving._

_Klaus didn’t understand the true meaning of Stefan’s last sentence, but he supposed that whatever it was, probably regarded the funny thing his friend wanted him to see. Klaus propbably would never admitted but he was curious and intrigued by the mystery that was Stefan Salvatore, the Ripper of Monterrey, his partner in crime, best friend, in someway brother, and also… something else that he could still not completely understand. He had been being so emotionless, cold and indifferent toward the other people and creatures, since his father has attacked him in New Orleans, banished him and his family from the city that they built up, a city where he loved and he was loved, in some ways, and where he was a King._  
_But now ? He only felt like a monster._  
_He looked at Stefan sidelong and he wondered what kind of secret the young man next to him was still hidden from him. What kind of secret could it possible be ? Klaus always though he could finding out other’s secret just by looking them in the eye, but Stefan’s mind was a maze for him. Every single time Klaus thought he had understood the other vampire, Stefan always found a way to surprise him again._  
_Stefan, on the other hand, he was feeling insecure about himself. What if Klaus laughed of his secret ? What if the hybrid found sentimental and stupid his necessity to remember every single detail of his murders ?_  
_They arrived at his apartment, where Stefan offered Klaus a drink and waited a little. Klaus commented his apartment, saying that he needed someone with better tastes in furniture and designs._ <<

_“You’re right but… I hope you’ll appreciate this part of my apartment" said Stefan moving the shelf until he revealed a secret room and then he signed to him to enter. Klaus came closer, curious to find out his friend’s secret._

_“I hope your secret will surprise me, love. I wouldn’t have walked all that way for nothing” Klaus said while he was entering in the dark tiny room._

_Stefan said nothing, just waited for Klaus to enter inside the dark room and read the various name of his victims. When Klaus entered in the room and he saw the list, he remained wordless. He didn’t aspect any of this. When his friend talked to him about a secret to share, he thought about a secret about his past life, an hidden secret Stefan shamed about, and Klaus wasn’t completely wrong._  
_The first name on the list was Giuseppe Salvatore. Someone could have though that Giuseppe was Stefan’s brother, but Klaus remembered a conversation about family, when Klaus talked for the first time of the other siblings, Stefan confessed to have a brother and not to have seen him for a long time and that he was a vampire too._  
_So Klaus assumed that Giuseppe Salvatore was the father of his favorite ripper and for the first time in long time felt proud of another vampire, he was proud of his friend and he felt also honored himself. Stefan trusted him, he was showing him that by revealing his deepest secret. The list of his victims, he was sure about it after reading Liam Grant name on it._

_“Why do you write their name ?” Klaus asked, even if he already understood why, but he wanted Stefan to say him._

_“Because I need to remember them. I need to keep vivid the memory of their look, of their preys, of their fear… I just need to keep them alive in my mind, to remind myself why I keep doing this. Why I keep killing them, why I don’t stop myself from killing them, why I don’t come back to feed myself with bunny’s blood”_

_Stefan laughed when he mentioned how he used to feed himself before and Klaus looked him with surprise, undecided if believe it or not._

_“Are you kidding me right ? Do you really expect me to believe that you used to prefer drinking bunnys’ blood over humans ones ?”._

_“It was a long time ago. I’m different now” said Stefan with a smirk._

_“Oh my God, you are, love. I couldn’t image you drinking bunny’s blood. I guess you used to be a boring vampire, all morals, rules and control… I’m happy you changed in time. I can’t put it up with a vegetarian vampire, all morals and control. My brother Elijah was like this, except for the vegetarian part, and we ended up fighting”._

_“Me and my brother don’t have a different kind of relationship even if he’s never tried to stop from killing or feeding from humans.”._

_“So he was the funny brother and you are the… lovely Saint ?” asked the hybrid coming closer to the other_

_“I’m not a Saint anymore” whispered Stefan when Klaus came so closer to him, that he could feel the other’s breath on his face._

_“Good for me. Because I would like to try something with you and I’m sure that a Saint would have never accepted this”._

_It was clear for both of them what was happening. They both have waited for it for long._  
_Stefan dreamed that moment every night, every moment of his day and now finally it was happening. Klaus was looking at him with a predatory look, like an animal ready to devour his prey. The hybrid came closer and closer to the other’s face until their lips met and they kissed, like there were no tomorrow. As if their immortal lives depended on that contact, on that kiss._  
_It wasn’t a gentle kiss, it seemed a sort of war of dominance between them, even if Stefan submitted himself to Klaus._  
_Klaus’ tongue entered in Stefan’s ones, possessing and reclaiming every single part of it. Klaus bitted, sucked his lips, he grabbed Stefan’s face with his two hands to kiss him harder and deeper, almost desperate. Stefan surround other’s neck with his arms, and their bodies adhered to each other and the clothes seemed like an insufferable wall between them and they pleasure. Klaus push Stefan against a wall and then he stopped kissing him and he bitted him on his neck. Stefan screamed, for the pain, but after for the pleasure. Klaus’s never drunk anything sweeter than Stefan’s blood, nothing ever made him so thirsty, so greedy to have more of it, so needy of it, as if Stefan’s blood was a cure for the poisoning hatred and solitude inside of his veins._

_“I want more”_

_It sounded as a simple statement, but Stefan knew it was a request, even if Klaus never asked for anything in his life, to possess him entirely, completely._

_“Then take me. I’m all yours”._

_And Stefan meant that words, with every single part of his heart. He belonged to Klaus, he always would be his and his only. If there was any chance that he could escape from his feelings for the hybrid now they were gone. Stefan surrendered to his feelings, to the sensation of the hot hands of Klaus, so hot, while he was undressing him, or while the hybrid pushed him on his bed, starting to kiss him all over his body, marking every single part of his skin, reclaiming the vampire under him as his and his only._

_“You will be mine… forever”_

_Klaus was penetrating him harder, deeper, taking everything, every part of the other man._

_“You will be mine forever… I will own you forever”_

_Stefan moaned, grabbing Klaus’ head with a hand and surrounded his neck with the other, pushing his body against him whispering into his ear an eternal promise._

_“I will always love you. I’m yours, forever and ever.”_

_…_

That was the last memory Stefan had about the most important love of his life, but then he forgot it too and everything became dark. He would never understood why Klaus was excluding him from his life, why he was abandoned him after all the kiss and the love between them. He was exactly like Damon, and this is probably why Stefan fell in love with him so easily. He shouldn’t have let himself fall for anyone, but he couldn’t regret it even.  
He had only a moment, before Klaus abandoned for what seemed forever and before Stefan forgot him completely to think “I will alway love you”.  
A deep part of him, always kept that promise.  
In fact he never fell in love with an other man, he only fell in love with Elena, the girl who was so similar to Katherine, even if she was completely different from her, and from him, that part who still loved him accepted to love Elena because she was different from Klaus, because it almost surrendered to the idea that it’s owner would never come back.  
This until Klaus suddenly reappeared in his life, with all the intentions of killing Elena and other of his new friends to brake a curse that didn’t allow him to turn himself into a wolf.  
Stefan couldn’t let Klaus killing the girl he loved with all his heart, so he fought against the man he didn’t remember to be in love with until he found out that Damon was dying after Tyler Lockwood bitted him.  
He looked for a cure and when he believed that Klaus could have helped him to save his brother and he did. He offered his blood, the only cure for a vampire to survive after being bitted by a werewolf, but then Klaus reclaimed his company, reclaimed his loyalty, Klaus wanted him to leave Mystic Falls with him and he did.  
But Klaus never accepted him for who he was, or became. Stefan could feel it, every single time Klaus looked at him, he looked for something, someone, inside of him that he never found.  
What was Klaus looking for ? Who ?  
Why he were always so disappointed when he looked at him ? Why Klaus wanted so hard to turn in someone else ? Why did he chose him in the first place ?  
Klaus wasn’t a fool, he knew that between him and Damon he was the weakest one, so why didn’t he chose Damon over him ? What did Stefan look so special at Klaus’ eyes since the first moment he saw him ?  
Stefan also noticed that sometime Klaus talked to him as an old friend, talked about him as he knew him better than himself and he seemed to be hiding something, a darker deepest truth behind his baby blue eyes that Stefan wasn’t sure to want to know.  
But the strangest thing was that every time Klaus touched him he felt strange, he felt protected, he felt safe. Even when Klaus grabbed his throat threatening him to rip his heart out of his chest, or to snap his neck if he didn’t obey to him, or better, when he didn’t reflect the image Klaus had of him.  
At some point Stefan started to think that maybe, maybe, he and Klaus met each other, in other time, and he didn’t remember anything about that. But He wasn’t sure about it, because, how could anyone forget to ever met someone like Klaus ?  
The hybrid wasn’t someone easily to forget, even after one conversation, and if he ever met him before, Stefan would have been surprise not to have fear him or to be still alive. Only a fool didn’t fear Klaus, but Stefan wasn’t a fool and he knew he should have feared Klaus especially now that he’s been lying to him since they left Mystic Falls about Elena’s death. And he did, he didn’t deny it, but he didn’t fear him completely, there was a part of him which was intrigued by the hybrid, a part of him which was screaming at him for whatever reason that he couldn’t understand.  
A part of him, wanted nothing more to make the hybrid proud of him, being whoever or whatever the hybrid wanted him to be. What was making him afraid the most, was that this part sometimes became stronger than his sense of guilty toward his murders, stronger than his morals, stronger than his love for Elena, stronger than his love for Damon, stronger than himself.  
All the conflicts inside him gave him the strength to take a risk and call Elena, he needed to hear hear voice, he needed to be reassured, he needed to know that he was doing the right things, that he had to hold on, that his beloved ones still believe in him, that he could pass through this. That he was the same good guy who Lexi saved a long time ago.  
He suffered, he lived in the agony because of human’s blood, he suffocated the Ripper inside of him to make other’s proud of him, not to disappointed the only two person who always believed in him, Leslie and Elena.  
But what now ? Lexi died, she couldn’t save him anymore and Elena was far away from him and he was all alone with someone who want him to turn off his humanity and being just like him, a monster. Who constantly threatened him and his family.  
Who obliged him to kill Damon’s girlfriend, Andie.  
And still he needed to come back to Klaus, he needed to know he was okay, he just needed to stay close to the hybrid.

“You’re back”.

That was the first thing Klaus said when he saw him entered into the bar, while he was still controlling how Ray was doing with his transformation.  
Stefan looked Klaus for a second and he imagined for a moment, he said imagined because it couldn’t be possibile, that Klaus was happy to see him. He saw a light in his eyes, a sense of relief and his eyes became sweet for a second. But Stefan believed that, more than gabby, we was satisfied that his little new marionette came back to him, probably too much scare even to try to escape from him.  
Stefan asked how Ray was going but Klaus ignored his question.

“I knew you’d passed the test. You still care for your brother, for your old life”

Klaus looked sorry while he was saying that, as he had hoped that, after all that time spent together he would have finally became Stefan’s priority, the only thing that mattered in the other’s life.

“I don’t care about anything anymore”.

“You put on a good show Stefan, I almost believe you, and I hoper you brother believed too. I also found out today that, not matter what, You can’t stop caring about family” whispered Klaus in his ear after Stefan sit down “But every time you feed, the blood made averting easier, you finally let yourself go. And believe me, you are magnificent when you let yourself go.”.

‘But I can’t let myself go, or I would became exactly like you’, Stefan though even if he didn’t have the courage to say it. He didn’t want to upset the hybrid so he remained silence, ignoring the agonizing Ray behind his shoulders and the hybrid’s presence next to him which was making him feel uncomfortable. His words was still making him feel uncomfortable, because the mysterious part inside of Stefan knew that that words were true. Something inside of him was trying desperately to hold on, to cling at his memories with Elena, in Mystic Falls, not to abandoned to the darkness, but when he drank human blood he felt so free, so powerful, so… magnificent as he hasn't been feeling for a long time.  
But why ?  
‘Because you want it, because that’s what you really are’.  
Great, now he also had this strange voices in his head, probably he was becoming crazy, fantastic.

“A penny for your thoughts, love” said Klaus sitting next him.

“Nothing in particular… I just… try to put some order in my head.”

It seemed such a stupid answer but Stefan couldn’t think another. He was sincere at least, because his mind was a mess, a confusing puzzle of million pieces scattered in front of his eye and he hasn’t found a way to unite them yet.  
There was something, a piece that he still didn’t have, there had to be. An hidden truth that was waiting to be revealed by him. He had to ask Klaus, but not now. So he waited untile they didn’t come back to their motel room, with a fainted Ray on the couch, too weak to try to escape from them. Stefan took a shower and Klaus did the same.

“Take some rest, love. Tomorrow will be an important day. I will finally create new hybrids like me and I want you to be ready for that moment” said Klaus in an exciting tone.

“I have to be ready because you will be finally free of me and replace me with one of your new toys ?” asked Stefan laying on the bed.

“Oh don’t be silly love. No one in the world will replace you, ever.” said Klaus in a strange voice “I will always need you”.

The last part of the sentence was almost whispered and Stefan believed to have imagined that, so he didn’t focus his attention on it more than necessary. He looked at Klaus to study his facial expressions but the hybrid lay down on the other bed and gave him shoulders, so that Stefan couldn’t see his face.

“Klaus, can I ask you a question ?”

“Is it necessary ? I want to rest, if you don’t mind” answered Klaus in a bored tone of voice.

“Why me ? Why didn’t you chose Damon over me ? He was stronger, faster and he would have appreciated all this murderous stuff, so… why me ?”.

Stefan needed to know, because that question was burning him from the inside. He wasn’t the bad guy, he wasn’t a murder, even if he found himself incapable of resisting at human blood, his sense go guilty was stronger as well, the biggest part of time. He wasn’t special, he didn’t have special qualities, he wasn’t even so much older as a vampire. Klaus was an original, he created the first vampires, older and stronger than him so why he was wasting his time with him ? Why were they together ? Why did Klaus seem relief when he saw him coming back at the grill ? He said he was sure he passed the test, but Stefan could swear that there has been a moment when Klaus probably though he would never come back again.

“Because it wasn’t you who was dying at the appropriate moment, it was him. And you were so desperate to save him that you sold your soul to devil. You would have done whatever it took to save your brother’s life, I knew it and I took an advantage of that” said Klaus with the same bored tone.

Stefan reflected for a moment on that answer and something didn’t convince him.

“You could cure Damon and took him with you. Damon would have done anything to survive, so he would accepted everything, even abandoned Mystic Falls with you. You would have had the perfect partner in crime, someone who lives without rules and morals and this stuff. Someone who wouldn’t have been feared to let himself go”.

“Yeah… but Damon wasn’t you” again Klaus said it so slowly that Stefan thought to have imagined “Damon didn’t show the same spirit of sacrifice of yours. And also you have… something which caught my attention since the first time.”

“What ? I’ve nothing special. I’m very ordinary to be a vampire”

“I don’t think so. Just for the fact that you used to feed yourself with animal’s blood makes you everything but an ordinary vampire. I’m surprised that you have drunken animal blood for almost one hundred years, it shows a strong will in my opinion. I’m impressed. And yes, sure you aren’t the strongest vampire I ever met, but I have the sensation that you have many special talents you’s been hiding from the world, maybe even from yourself and I want find them out”.

“I assured you, I have no special talents” said Stefan, almost sad for that.

“ We will see. Now, sleep love. Tomorrow will be a special day”.

Stefan didn’t answer, he just closed his eyes but he didn’t fell asleep right away, he spent the an entire hour thinking about the new informations. Klaus said that he chose him over Damon because of his spirit of sacrifice, because he was so desperate for his brother’s life that he would have accepted every conditions from the hybrid and he was impressed because he resisted year after year drinking animal blood but this didn’t make any sense. They were only excuses. Although Klaus looked evil and sadistic enough to feel joy in turn someone completely good into someone completely monstrous, Stefan didn’t think he would have risk his important Operation Hybrid just for his fun. And… maybe he was becoming crazy for real but he heard Klaus said that Damon wasn’t him. What did that supposed to mean ? Damon wasn’t him, he feed human blood so he would have been perfect.  
Klaus also talked about his talents… what kind of talents did he supposed to have ?  
That conversations didn’t help him at all to understand the situation. So he feel asleep.

...

_Stefan’s just finished to recollected the various part of the body of his last victim. Liam Grant and his beautiful wife were keeping their hands in a mortal pose in their house. Stefan was so satisfied of his artwork. Very proud. Liam Grant became insufferable and he had enough fun with his boring wife, especially after he met not one, but two, originals. Especially after he met Klaus. He knew he was in a sort of relationship with Rebekah and that Klaus didn’t accept it, because he believed he was pathetic, an idiot, probably, and he wasn’t stronger like Rebekah. but he was sure to have earned points that night with his little show with Liam Grant. Klaus looked very impressed by his talent, by him and Stefan was very happy about it._  
_He didn’t know why, but he felt the strong necessity to be noted by the hybrid, to be estimated by him, to become his friend, maybe even more, he hoped about it. He felt strange about the hybrid, also strange about himself. He’s never felt like this before, at least not for a men. He didn’t become homosexual, he was sure about that because he wasn’t disgusted by women’s body either he stopped to be attracted by them, he just felt something for Klaus in particular._  
_He still didn’t know what he felt, or he did but maybe a part of him was still in denial, he didn’t know, but he would understood._

_“So, is this what does the ripper of Monterey usually do to his victims ? Draining, ripping and recomposing his victims like a puzzle ? Interesting”_

_Stefan boggled and turned to the owner of the voice behind him. He was surprised when he saw Klaus behind him, with a smirk on his face while he was seeing the Grants ripped and recomposed on their couch in their home, who looked like two terrible death dolls._  
_Stefan didn’t hear him arrived, he was so concentrated on his work that anyone else could entered in the room without been noted by him, especially a vampire._

_“How long have you been there ? Did you enjoyed the show ?” asked Stefan cleaning his mouth, even if it was perfectly clean, but he felt embarrassed and he wanted to something to calm himself._

_“Love, you’ll have to pay more attention in the future because I was following you since you went away from the Gloria’s. Imagine if it were another vampire instead of me, and enemy of yours for example. Anyway, after your little show withe the poor Liam Grant, I was curious to see the famous Ripper of Monterey in action and, I’m sincere, that rumors don’t give you justice. You were magnificent while you were draining and ripping them, love” said Klaus coming a little closer to him._

_“And while was I recomposing them ? Did you get bored ?” Stefan asked trying to look indifferent._

_“Non at all. I wasn’t bored, I was curious. I still am, curious I meant.”._

_“About what ?”_

_Stefan didn’t understand why the hybrid was curious about him recomposing his victims. According to Stefan it wasn’t strange at all, in fact it was the most normal thing he did to his victim and then he understood that it was the most human and compassionate ones too. For a vampire who turned off his humanity, recomposing his victims shouldn’t have be so important as for him. But Stefan needed to do it every single time. A part of him, the good boy inside of him, still thought that that people deserved to be respected, at least after their death. They weren’t animals or dolls, so he could waist some of time trying to give them back some of their dignity._

_“Why do you feel the need to recompose them ? Why don’t letting them shattered in pieces on the floor ? I observed you, you turned off your humanity as me, but in some way, a part of you still need to relieve you sense of guilty for killing them.”._

_Klaus has been observing Stefan since he started to hunt the Grants and he found himself incapable of looking away from him, not even for a second. If the first time he saw him, Klaus had think that Stefan was one of the greatest clown he ver met, now he found him incredible and magnificent. When he obliged Liam Grant to drink his wife’s blood Klaus was wordless. He’s never met a vampire who a had the courage to doing something like that before and he met the cruelest vampire in the world. Stefan was young and naive but he also had something that Klaus wanted to find out, so he left his sister at their house and then he followed Stefan. He was so fascinated by the way Stefan killed and tortured his victims, but when arrived the part of recomposing something in Stefan’s look changed, there were a sort go melancholy and guilty and something else that Klaus didn’t understand. There was a sort of needing to be forgiven, a sort of desperation, when Stefan recomposing the bodies with the highest precision. Klaus wanted to know why._  
_He though he had undertook everything about that naive young vampire, he though he was just a dick, too exited about his new status, an ex looser who wanted show the world that now was strong enough to fight it, but now ? What was that ?_  
_Apparently his Rippah was more challenging to read than he had though. It was okay, Klaus adored the challenge, he always had._

_“What is strange about that ?” asked Stefan with a little fear._

_“It’s strange because you shouldn’t have to feel guilty in the first place, but you did, you still do. Why ?”._

_“ Because… I don’t know… It’s seems the right thing to do, it makes me feel comforted in some ways. I know that it sound ridiculous said from a ripper like me but I feel in this way” answered Stefan crossing his arms, like he wanted to defend himself from Hybrid’s judgment._

_“It’s not ridiculous is just… curious. I’ve never met a vampire stranger than you, Rippah and believe me, I met vampires with various disturbed personalities”._

_“Do you think I’m disturbed ?” asked Stefan almost offended._

_“Do you think you’re perfectly sane, love ?” asked Klaus with irony “And seriously, I’m not saner than you. My sister think that I’m a paranoid psychopath,, highly disturbed and with delusions of grandeur” concluded with a laugh._

_“Excellent, together we would form a great due of psychopaths” said Stefan with a shiny smile._

_“Why don’t start from an healthy friendship ? I don’t offer my goodwill to anyone, but you have something special that makes me think you deserve my friendship. What do you think ?” said Klaus holding out his hand._

_“That I’m not so crazy to refuse the honor of such a friendship” answered Stefan shaking the other’s hand._

_“Good, I’m happy for your decision. You won’t regret, my friend”, said Klaus with a smirk kissing Stefan on the forehead._

_Stefan felt his front burning under hybrid touch and he was sure he was blushing, but he didn’t care. He could consider Klaus a friend and he would never give up his friendship. It was too important, Klaus was important and Stefan didn’t want lose him. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to lose his "BEST FRIEND"._

…

Stefan woke up suddenly because of that dream. What was that ? Why did he dream about him and Klaus ? It was probably because of their strange conversation happened last night, but Stefan wasn’t convinced of that, that dreams seemed so real and the feelings that he was feeling in that dream, he could still feel now. How ? Why ? Was it a memory ?  
Those questions tormented him for all the day, since when he was taking Ray’s body on his shoulders while Klaus was kidding him, when Ray run away and bitted him, even when he met Damon, Elena and Alaric.  
He though about that memory especially before Ray escaped, when he asked Klaus why he needed so much to create new hybrids. Klaus said that he wanted soldier, an army to run, to conquer the world. In that moment Stefan felt hurt and scared, because he couldn’t stop himself from thinking what would have happened to him if Klaus succeeded to his plan. He shouldn’t be scared, since Elena was still alive, but he felt hurt.  
He knew that there couldn’t be place for him, in the hybrid’s life after he created an army of hybrid. He would always be too weak than an hybrid. Klaus’d needed him anymore.  
In some ways this was a part of the reason why he let Ray escaped, because he didn’t want anyone to take what he considered his place, on the hybrid’s side, and that was ridiculous because he didn’t want stay here with Klaus, he wanted come back to Mystic Falls, he wanted come back to Elena.  
Or he tried to convinced himself that he still wanted the same things of when he left the city with Klaus. He didn’t want be stuck in that situation with the hybrid forever, at least he wouldn’t be killed by Klaus himself, especially if he would have found out the truth about Elena.  
Stefan wanted to go away from him he wanted go back home but every single time he though to escape, something happened to him. In that case, the werewolf Ray bitted him and if Stefan didn’t want to die he’d had to drink Klaus’ blood.  
So he came back, trying to convince himself that he was doing it only to survive, because he’d have never come back if he’d died. He wasn’t coming back for Klaus, to stay next to him while his hybrids were dying in front of him and he couldn’t understand why.  
When he was screaming for desperation and anger for his failures.

“I did everything I was told, I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse, I killed the werewolf, I killed the vampire, I killed the doppelganger …”

When Stefan heard Klaus mentioned the doppelganger, he seriously feared for himself, maybe for the first time since he was with the other’s company.  
Klaus used a strange tone when he said the word “doppelgänger” and Stefan’s heart lost a beat, but he tried to stay calm or to confuse his fear for Elena to sadness for Klaus. And a part of him was really sad for the hybrid. He understood after all that time spent with Klaus, or he started to understand, why was so important to him creating an army of hybrids. Klaus didn’t want other hybrid just to be more powerful, he wanted new hybrids not to be the only hybrid on the earth anymore.

‘You look like hell”

That last statement of the hybrid made Stefan relax, just a little. God, he had to really look like hell if Klaus had forgotten for a moment of his death hybrids to notice his horrible aspect.

“‘I was bitted and you don’t wanna heal me. I had to kill Ray, I don’t have choice. I failed you and I am sorry for this. Do what you have to do”.

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, but at that point Stefan didn’t care anymore. He was dying at the point, the most horrible things that Klaus could have done to him was letting him dying. But he was looking at the hybrid, who was silently observing his wound, almost sadness at him, as Stefan was le last thing he had and he didn’t want to lose him too.

“It should’ve worked”

Then Klaus grabbed an empty bottle and bitted his own wrist, pouring out his blood inside of the bottle and then he tended the bottle toward Stefan, who grabbed it with a curious look. Why was Klaus helping him ? Why ? Why didn’t let him dying together with his broken dreams ?

“It appears you are the only comrade I have left”.

That, that was the moment Stefan felt shamed of himself the most, ah he has never done before. Klaus was so… sad and broken and Stefan was responsible for his misery and he also had the courage to ask for his blood to cure himself. How could he have fallen so far ?  
Or… how could he feel guilty and sad for Klaus ? The hybrid deserved that and even more for all the thing he’s done to him and to his friends. Letting the hybrid create a new army of hybrids would have been dangerous and letting the other werewolves dying was better than letting them turning into Klaus’ marionettes.  
Stefan didn’t do anything wrong. He had done everything to protect Elena from Klaus, not for himself.  
He shouldn’t have felt guilty but he couldn’t avoid it. Why ?  
Why, when Klaus looked him with that hurt look, was Stefan tempted to reveal him the truth ? Why was he tempted to bed Klaus for forgiveness ? Why did he regret that Klaus chose to save him instead of letting him die ?  
Why did he want to hug the hybrid ? Trying to make him feel better ? Loved ? Trying to make him forget what he has already lost ?  
He didn’t have to let himself go, doing wrong moves, or he would have put Elena in danger and he didn’t want it.  
That night, Klaus decided to leave again, they went to Chicago, a magic town, in Klaus’ opinion.  
Stefan noted a strange look on Klaus face all the time, like he was really feeling nostalgia for Chicago, like that town had been very important to him, for some mysterious reason.  
Stefan remembered that he lived there during the roaring twenties but it was the time when he was know as the Ripper of Monterey. It was a dark period of his life, the darkest actually, and Stefan didn’t think about it with joy. Or it would be more correct saying that he didn’t remember that periodo clearly, some memories are more confuse than other and other memories seemed just disappeared.  
How could his memories disappeared ? Surely Stefan got drunk a lot during roaring twenties, but a vampire couldn’t get drunk at the point to lose his sense and not to remember the things he’d done. So where were those memories ? He usually read his journals over and over again, when he had the sensation to forget something important, and he remembered that the journal written during that period was disappeared too.  
Was it taken by someone ?  
What if…. Klaus was the one who took his memories away from him ? Why not ?  
Klaus’s always talked about them as they already knew each other, always behaved as they were old friends, as he knew everything about him and even more. A secret dark part that Stefan locked up inside of him and that Klaus pushed to set free, as he missed that part of him. As that part of Stefan’s been very important to Klaus. But hen the younger vampire thought that no one could ever be so important to Klaus like Klaus himself.  
Well, creating his army of hybrids seemed really important to him, but what about the rest ? Stefan was sure not to be important to Klaus, even if Klaus called him comrade, the younger vampire was sure that he wouldn’t been useful for the hybrid forever and, when Klaus would pissed off hi he would kill him. Stefan was surprise not to be death already.  
Klaus took him at Gloria’s and Stefan was surprised when he found out that Gloria was still alive. He knew he was a witch be he could never though she would have used her power to live more time. They went there because Klaus wanted some explanations about the spell, why it didn’t work, what he did wrong and stuff like that. Stefan noted that Gloria, when she looked at them, smiled in a malicious way, just like she knew something about them, something about him that Stefan was trying to find out.  
Stefan started to feel very irritated about the situation in general. He hated when people around him seemed to have agreed with each other to piss him off with half truths about him and his time spent there. Why did everyone seem to know everything about him except Stefan himself ? That situations was making him crazy.  
It was there, that he found out another piece of the puzzle, another clue that could help him to understand the entire situation between him and Klaus.  
He found a photograph of him and Klaus, they were hugging and smiling ad the camera, and they seemed happy, really happy. Stefan also noted something else, in his eyes, there was a light, a strange happiness due to Klaus’ company. How could it be possible ? How could Klaus company make him feel happy ? And… above all… When did it happen ? He didn’t remember when he and Klaus took that picture, he didn’t remember to have encounter Klaus during the roaring twenties in the first place. Did he forget about it ? Impossible. As he said, no one could be capable of meeting the hybrid without remembering about him in the future.  
In the good or in the evil, Klaus was one of the rare people who were impossible to forget. So how could he forget about him ?  
Stefan had no idea, maybe it wasn’t even his fault, maybe Klaus himself took away that memory from him, but why ? Why did he make him forget about their first met ? Why didn’t Klaus give his memory back when they met in Mystic Falls ? Why did the hybrid pretend not to know him ? Why didn’t he tell Stefan the truth ?  
When Stefan asked Klaus about the picture, Klaus smiled at him and he said that he wanted show him something in his old apartment in Chicago. Stefan wondered what Klaus wanted to show him in his old house. Along the way, Stefan tried to remember every single particular of his old apartment when he finally remember a detail that he had tried to forget a long time ago. The list, his list. The list with all the names of victims on it. Had he ever showed that list to Klaus ? It was impossible. That list was a secret that he has been keeping for himself since he left Chicago. Stefan felt ashamed of that list, a lot and he promised to himself that that list would be remain hidden from the rest of the world until the day he died and that day, theoretically, would never arrived.  
So, how could it be possible that Stefan trust enough to Klaus to show him that intimate part of his Ripper himself when he didn’t even show that to Damon ? Was his relationship with Klaus deeper than his brotherhood ? Of course not.  
His affection for Damon was stronger than everything, maybe even stronger than his love for Elena. He knew that he should have hated his brother for all the things he had done to him, but he couldn’t. Stefan knew that Damon could do the cruelest things to him and Stefan would have forgiven him anyway, and, under certain aspect, Damon was so similar to Klaus… what if Stefan forgave him despite all the things the hybrid has done to him ?  
Lexi used to say that he suffered of Stockholm syndrome and now he though it was true. Maybe he really needed of a good psychologist to adjust the big problem which was his head.  
They arrived at his apartment a there, there Klaus showed to know that there was a dark room behind the shelf, where the names of victims were written on a list on the wall. Stefan went inside the room, even if he knew what he would have found out, but he went there, he wanted to see his list again, he didn’t know why, but he wanted read to the names again and there he found out something else, or better, someone else, someone who shouldn’t has been there, so close to the hybrid who thought she was death.  
Elena, his lovely Elena was there, she was hiding in his secret room and she was looking at him with relief, happiness and affection. When their eyes looked each other, Stefan felt protected and safe, like Elena could calm him only looking at him. She’s always had the power to make him feel better, to make him feel braver when he lost his courage, to make him feel stronger when he lost the strength, to make him feel loved in that moment that he hated himself with all his heart for what he had done to the people on that list. He mimed with his lips “I love you”, and he meant it, every single word, with all his heart.  
That, that was the sign he needed to know that he was doing the right thing, that he had to fight, that he had not surrender, that he wasn’t lost forever, that he had still a life to come back. Stefan felt reassured and happy for the first time in months, but he couldn’t stay there, not with Klaus and Elena in the same apartment. He had to distract Klaus or make up something to make him go away from there without complications.  
Klaus, anyway, he seemed more concentrating about something else and, at some point Klaus started to take about his time spent in Chicago, and Stefan didn’t understand why. But then, He thought about the list on the wall, in the dark room hidden by the shelf, and he thought about the apartment and about how clear Klaus had seemed to know the way to get there, and the picture of them together, of course. What was happening ? Did Klaus finally decide to reveal him the truth ? Now ? Now that Stefan was ready to leave his past definitely behind ? Why ? Why ?  
Klaus started to talked about the Twenties and Stefan didn’t understand why, but, at some point, Klaus decided to leave the apartment and Stefan decided to remain in silence and listen. If the hybrid was so intent to talked about their old time together, who was Stefan to deny it to him ? Especially when Elena was in danger ?  
They came back to the old storage, where Klaus was keeping the coffins of his siblings. He opened one coffin and when the coffin was opened, it revealed the body of a young beautiful woman with golden hair.

“You don’t remember about her, I guess. How could you?”.

Klaus whispered that words before he started to talked about their first met, about how Klaus used to hated Stefan, the way he was so confident about himself, about his vampire nature. Klaus was so furious that Stefan and Rebekah were together, because he didn’t consider Stefan enough to stay with an Original like his sister.

“I hated you. I hated you with all my heart, but then you show me your useful talents, you show me a lot of interested things”.

Klaus continued to talk about their old time in Chicago, and Stefan sincerely started to believe in his words. Klaus talked about that period with a strange expression on his face, and in his eyes there was a bright light, like if only remembering that memories was making him happy.  
And Klaus knew that he was letting himself go, that he was showing something that he should have kept to himself, but he couldn’t. He waited to much to reunite with Stefan, with his hot Ripper who literally stole his heart from him. Because the truth was that he didn’t stop, even for a damn single moment, to think about Stefan, about how he was, where he was, how he could find him, if a little part of the younger vampire was still in love with him, if they eventually met again and if Stefan forgave him. He hoped, he never stopped.  
…

  
_Two young men were kissing each other, while they were lying naked on the bed. The blonde was kissing, or better devouring the other’s mouth, as he could live when he kiss the other the other, as it depended his life on that. Klaus was feeling so stupid and fool, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care that he feel in love with a vampire so much younger than him, so mundane, so common but also so special. Yes, there was something in him, something in Stefan Salvatore that made Klaus dependent on it. Why ?_  
_Why did he fall in… No, Klaus’ mind refused to accept that. He couldn’t feel in love with no one, it would have been dangerous for him. How could he be sure Stefan would never leave his side ? How could he be sure Stefan would never betray him as everyone else ? How could he be so sure that Stefan would never brake his heart ? Abandon him ?_  
_And Klaus ? Klaus knew how complicated he was. He had a bad temper, a cruel and violent behavior which he couldn’t control, especially when he was so angry that he could destroy everything around him and kill everyone around him. Klaus had also so many enemies, his life wasn’t safe, he wasn’t safe._  
_He knew that it was only a question of time before Mikael found him and his sister in Chicago. He knew that he would have to abandoned Stefan at that point, Stefan, or better, the Ripper would have be dangerous for him and Rebekah. He couldn’t survive with them, Mikael would have killed him easily and he would have destroyed another thing that Klaus loved with all himself._  
_Maybe it was because of this that he needed to enjoy of every single moments spent with his lovely Rippah, because every single moments could have been the last. Maybe that was the reason why he marked every single centimeter of Stefan’s beautiful body with his bite, of course without hurt him, but enough to show the other that the younger vampire belonged to him and him alone._  
_Whoever dared to looked at Stefan would have died. Klaus was a possessive type, he didn’t let anyone else touched his Rippah, kissed his Rippah, had his lovely body._

_“You’re mine… mine alone” said Klaus between a kiss and another._

_“I know… I’m only yours” said Stefan while he was holding Klaus against him almost with desperation, as he feared that letting him go, Klaus would have disappeared._

_“Mine forever” said Klaus grabbing the other’s hair and and biting him on the neck._

_Stefan’s moan was an amazing sound and his blood was the sweetest nectar Klaus’s ever drunk. It became a drug for Klaus, the only things that could keep him alive with Stefan’s love. The best part was that he didn’t have to stop, Stefan wasn’t human, and Klaus could enjoy of his blood how much he wanted._  
_While Klaus was taking another part of him, Stefan though, for a moment, that Klaus’s never let him bitting him and he asked himself if Klaus only considered him as a lover or worst a property, instead of a… what ? A boyfriend ?_  
_Stefan felt stupid for that thought. Klaus would have never been his, would ever accepted to belong to anyone, especially him. Why would Klaus preferred him over another vampire ? Maybe stronger than him ? More beautiful than him ?_

_“I love you”._

_Stefan said, when he felt Klaus’ teeth out of his skin. He didn’t know why he said it, he knew he shouldn’t have, he knew it was dangerous showing his feelings in that way, especially for someone so powerful like Klaus, but he felt in that way about the original. He loved him, no, he was in love with him and now Stefan accepted that his heart no longer belonged to him but to Klaus. Klaus owned his heart, he owned everything of Stefan._  
_Klaus didn’t say anything, instead he kissed the other vampire again._

_“Did you remember the first time we met ?” Klaus asked with his usual smirk._

_“I could never forget your rude comment on my hair. Admit you were jealous of my hair” joked Stefan, trying to hide his delusion for Klaus ignoring his declaration._

_“Oh I was jealous, but not of your funny hair. I was jealous of my sister”._

_“Yeah, you are so protective about her. My sister was the luckiest of the sisters, you know why ?” asked Stefan._

_“Why ?” asked Klaus without understand._

_“Because she’s never born. Between me and Damon she would have probably died virgin” joked Stefan._

_Klaus laughed but then said “Yeah, probably your sister is luckier than mine. Sometimes I wonder why she hasn’t left me yet. But, when I said that I was jealous of her I didn’t mean in a brother way, but more like someone who saw a beautiful new thing in the hands of someone else and he’s jealous because he wish he could have had that thing instead.”._

_“Why ? I thought you hated me when you saw me for the first time” Stefan said raising eyebrows._

_“I hated you a lot. You seemed intended to steal away the love of my sister from me and I couldn’t accept. Did Rebekah tell you that I didn’t want to meet you ?” asked Klaus laying on its side next to Stefan._

_“But then you accepted to meet me” concluded Stefan._

_“Actually I didn’t. I have been sitting all alone for hours before I decided to come closer to you and Rebekah to convince her to go away. I was determinate to completely ignore you but I couldn’t. You were so confident and fearless, you looked right in my eyes when you talked to me and you had that funny hair. I’ve known since that moment that you would have been a trouble for me. Guess I was right. Look where we are now” said Klaus surrounding Stefan’s body with his arm._

_“Do you regret this ?” asked Stefan with fear._

_Klaur kissed his forehead and then he said “No, I could never regret this. You’re the only person who’s never thought about me like a monster. You said I’m a king, you said I’m powerful and you don’t fear it. You don’t despise me at all. When I’m with you I don’t feel alone and it’s strange because I’ve been feeling alone since I found out I was an hybrid. No one’s never tried to understand how makes you feel the knowledge that you don’t belong to anything in the world, especially if you’re the result of an affair. My family’s never been the same since the day we turned into a vampire, I’ve never been the same.”._

_“You are not that bad, if you want to know it.” said Stefan caressing the other’s cheekbone_

_“You haven’t spent enough time with me to know that it’s not easy staying with me. I have a lot of enemies. Sometimes it seems that I make a new one every single day. I’ve no a easy life.”_

_“No one has an easy life, but I guess that having a lot of enemy is a collateral effect of being the most powerful creature of the world”_

_“Do you think you could handle it ? A life full of enemies I mean”._

_Klaus regretted to have ask that question , he feared Stefan’s answer, he feared that he would have said that he couldn’t handle a life full of danger and hatred, a life spent by escaping from the rest of the world because all his lover could do was making new enemies over and over again. A person like him that wasn’t capable of change, who was stuck to repeat the same terrible mistakes over and over again. A person who is incapable of create something beautiful, only destroying it and blaming someone else for his mistakes. It would have been so easy saying that it would have been Stefan’s fault if he eventually got hurt, it would have been so easy blaming Stefan for his weakness, for his stupidity if Mikael got him killed. It would has been so easy for him hurt Stefan to death, killing him by himself only not to let his father taking another precious thing away from him._  
_Would has he been capable of killing Stefan ?_  
_Klaus knew and the younger vampire was not safe with him because Klaus was the first enemy to fight in the first place, and still the hybrid hope Stefan to stay with him forever. Klaus would have killed him otherwise. He hoped he wouldn’t, he knew he could do it._

_“I can handle everything for the right person who I want spend my eternity with”._

_That was the answer Klaus wanted to hear and he also understood that the younger vampire with his funny hair who was lying next to him was the creature he wanted to spend his immortality too. Stefan Salvatore looked as a common mundane vampire, but he had something that made him the most special too, at least at Klaus’ eyes._  
_That night they made love for another time before they met Rebekah at the Gloria’s. That was also their last night for a long time, because that night Mikael found Klaus and Rebekah in Chicago and obliged them tu run away._  
_Rebekah didn’t want follow him, she wanted remain with Stefan but Klaus couldn’t let her go so he daggered her and then he made Stefan forget._

_“You must forget Rebekah and me”, Nik said. “Until I say otherwise, you never knew us, Stefan. Thank you anyway. I had forgotten what it was like to have a brother”._

_When Klaus went away from Chicago with the coffins of his siblings, he had just one thought in his mind, “I love you too, Stefan”._

_…_

Stefan was so angry, so furious, so hurt. He was feeling just like when Klaus made him forget everything about their time together, their relationship and his love for him. How did Klaus dare to take away his memories from him, put up a pathetic show of their “friendship”, make him feel like a pathetic little fool, and then give his memorie back only because he wanted his stupid little puppy back ?  
Stefan was angry, so angry that he could actually make something stupid. The only thing this was sopping him from doing it was the little good sense he still had.  
He didn’t talk to Klaus all day, only to insult him or to have fun of him with Rebekah, while Klaus was treating her like a brat and Stefan dared to tell him he wasn’t a pic nic either and that he had spent all the summer with him and that was enough to make him to want to blow off his head.  
Klaus got offended for his comment and Stefan considered it a little revenge for all the things Klaus made to him. More the little original brat was offended for his comment, more Stefan was glad, even if he knew that Klaus would have got his revenge for every single comment of him.  
Stefan also found out that no one in that original family was easy to get along with. Now that he remembered everything about his relationship with Rebekah he couldn’t understand how he could have been attracted by someone so childish, so annoying and so spoiled ? But then he remember he had been in love with Katherine and Klaus too, so he shouldn’t be surprised of his horrible tastes in matter of lovers.  
At some point Stefan really needed some air and space, far, far away from the two originals who was making him wanting to kill himself.  
But his good star seemed to have completely abandoned him that day. First of all, Gloria caught him and tried to kill him to fine the necklace of Rebekah, which was around Elena’s neck in that moment and that was putting her in danger again. Then Katherine saved him and tried to persuade him to be her new partner in crime. She wanted him to help her to find a way to kill Klaus but Stefan refused her propose. He was risking too much at that moment with the two originals trying to find out a way to create new hybrids and also he knew Klaus was angry with him for not having said nothing about his memories, their relationship and for having fun of him with Rebekah.

“Are you sure that keeping Elena safe is the only reason why you don’t want collaborate with me to kill Klaus ?” asked Katherine with her usual smirk “Because I suppose that, for screaming his name to save you, you have to trust him a lot”.

Stefan thanked God for not being able to blush, especially not in front of that viper. He didn’t even thank her for saving him. Especially because he was sure she didn’t do it for him, probably she wanted something in return. Probably she needed a new partner in crime to kill Klaus, but Stefan would never help her. Not after all the things she had done to him and to Damon.

“Probably I trust him more than you. In fact I made a deal with him, with you… well, I would not trust you my dog, let alone my life or my loyalty”.

“ You do have a horrible consideration for me, although I’ve just saved your life. Poor me, so I guess you will not be my partner in crime, ah ?”.

“Absolutely not”

Stefan was going to go out, when Katherine talked again.

“You know, I’ve been following you and Klaus since you arrived here, in Chicago. Maybe I’m not perceptive as an Original, maybe is mine feminine instinct, but I noticed that you’re different when Klaus is around you. You seemed so confident, so invincible, while the Stefan Salvatore that I knew was a little shiny teenager who seemed to fear his own shadow. And he is also different when he is with you.”.

“I don’t know what you meant and I don’t care” said Stefan opening the door of the club.

“Yeah, yeah. You are in denial. Totally understandable. I mean, who would have the courage to admit he is love with a monster”.

“I was in love with you once. Should I be shamed of this too ?”.

“I’m not Klaus” Said Katherine almost offended.

“Yeah, maybe you’re even worst. I don’t know, I don’t care. I spent too much time here, I have to come back Klaus or he will start to suspect something”.

“Yeah, for example that you betrayed him for Elena. Poor Klaus !” joked Katherine “For the record, Klaus is paranoid, he doesn’t trust anyone, so you shouldn’t worry too much about his faith in you because, I swear, it’s almost inexistent. He will never trust you, he doesn’t even have faith in his siblings. So why don’t you ally with me against Klaus ? He’s the one who obliged you to abandon you lovely Elena, he’s the one who obliged you to kill innocent people, something you hate with all your heart. Why don’t help me to find a way to get free of him ?” asked Katherine crossed her arms.

“Because first, I don’t trust you. You stabbed me in the back more times than I can count and secondly I’ve already said that helping you to find a way to kill Klaus could be dangerous for Elena. If Klaus is so paranoid, it means that I must come back to him before he decides to look for me and maybe see us together”.

“Yeah, go little puppy. Go back to your lovely owner. You know Stefan ? You can fool everyone, even yourself if you want, but I remember the way Klaus looked at you that night, when you two made a deal, and I can assure you, it wasn’t a look of an old friend and you, well, you have feelings for Klaus and maybe he has feeling for you as well, considering the way you two act around each other. Maybe he is in denial too, who knows. Sorry for having waste your time, I didn’t understand that the only reason why you can’t kill Klaus is because you desire him like a lover.”

“I’m done with you”

“Goodbye Stefan”.

Stefan was even more irritated than before. How did Katherine dare to say that he had feelings for Klaus ? For Klaus !! Of all people. It was true, Stefan had been in love with Klaus a long time ago but he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself, let alone Katherine Pierce. And Stefan didn’t desire the hybrid anymore, Klaus hurt him too much. Klaus obliged Stefan to forget everything about their unhealthy relationship, he abandoned Stefan in Chicago and escaped without a valid explanation. Stefan hated him. When he came back to the storage he found Rebekah alone, who was trying to seduce him, making him remember how much he loved her, how much they were perfect together but Stefan wanted to ask her some questions about Chicago. He wanted to know why they escaped and from who. Especially who. Stefan couldn’t image anyone so strong or dangerous at the point to be a threat even for Klaus.  
Rebekah, however, was so much perceptive, more than a normal vampire, and she quickly understood Stefan’s true intensions, so, when Klaus came back, she said that she felt that Stefan wasn’t loyal to them, that he was only declining them that he was hiding something from them. Of course Klaus trusted her and snapped Stefan’s neck.  
Yes, that wasn’t a lucky day for Stefan, but that wasn’t even the worst part. When Stefan regained consciousness, he was on the back on a truck, he was lying on the floor while Klaus was in front of him and he was observing deeply the younger vampire.  
The first instinct of Stefan was to try to run away but he knew that the hybrid would have captured him again quickly, so he stayed and tried to explain himself. But Klaus interrupted him.

“I’m not mad, Stefan. I’m just curious. That’s all. Rebekah seems to think you’re holding on something, a piece of your old life.

Stefan wanted to protest, but Klaus kept ignoring him and said “The things is, she’s got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural and… and if we’re all being honest here as much as I didn’t want to come to this, I knew you were keeping something from me anyway. I was hoping you’d own up to it eventually”.

Klaus looked up to Stefan and he looked quite disappointed and maybe, maybe, even hurt. Stefan couldn’t care less, not that moment at least, not the day he found out that Klaus had taken away from him an essential part of his life, Gloria had attempted to kill him, and Katherine had had fun of him and his inexistent feelings for Klaus. The only reason why Stefan hadn’t tried to do something stupid was his first instinct to survive. Nothing else.  
Was Klaus hurt ? Disappointed ? Offended ? Well, Stefan was hurt, disappointed, offended, anger, sad, pissed off… Did he have to continue ?

“But now I’m sick of waiting, so i though I’d check it out, see for myself what you’ve been hiding. But… before this… I wanted to talk with you. I’m not a fool and I’m not blind, not when I don’t pretend to be. I know you’re angry with me and I know why. Do you want talk about it ? Before things become too frustrating ?”

“Oh, believe me, our past relationship’s not frustrating me, at all. Do you know what’s really frustrating me ? You, you and your frustrating way to impose your decisions to everyone, and to use everyone as your possessed. How did you dare take my memories aways from me ? Hod did you dare leave me in Chicago alone in that way ? Why ? Why did you come back in my life ? Now ? Now that I’ve finally…”

“Now that you’ve finally what ? Putting up a new show ? Let me guess, you were being so happy before I came back into your life. You had an amazing lovely girlfriend, who completely accepted who you really were, who preferred you over Damon, who would have sacrificed everything for you, who would have looked for you if she had still lived. You had friends, you had a normal life and everything were unicorns and rainbows until I came back and I took you aways from your show. A show where you pretended to be someone who you really weren’t.”.

“I’m exactly who I want to be” said Stefan.

Stefan tried to look confident and sure of himself but he wasn’t. He knew ,and probably Klaus did too, his problem with his bloodlust which turned him twice into a monster. He did so much to be capable of resist, to stop all his instincts, he made so many sacrifices to arrive at the point he were, but Klaus made all his sacrifice nothing, he took everything again from him, again. Stefan hated him so much at the moment, so much and the things he hated the most was that he knew he still loved him. A part of Stefan, that one which never stopped to love the hybrid, still loved him, not matter what.

“No, you don’t. You were so magnificent when I left you. You were an idiot with funny hair, but you were so… I was so attracted to you, you were so confidence, so passional, so untamed. You were free and you were beautiful…”

“And is this why you left me ?” Asked Stefan interrupting the other.

“No, I left you because someone who was hunting me and my sister had found us and so we had to escaped. You couldn’t come with us because you were too much younger and naive”.

“And what does that suppose to mean ? You should have let me to take my decision on my own. I was a person, I’m a person, I should be free of taking my decisions, but of course freedom isn’t a concept you seem to know so much, right ? And not you’re also pretending that you have done all you have done just because you cared about me.”.

“I did care about you ! I still care about you, this is because I wanted to find you…”.

“If you really wanted me back you would have given me back my memories the first time we met. You wouldn’t have hurt me the way you did by obliging me to abandoned my brother and my friends…”

“… And who ? Your dead girlfriend ?If she’s really death and you wouldn’t have lied about it all this time.”.

“Oh, now are you trying to convince me that you killed her because you’re jealous of her ? Come on, you wanted her death only to brake the curse”.

“Maybe, I admit I was really determinate to brake the curse but the fact that the doppelgänger was your girlfriend was only an incentive to kill her to have you back. You have not idea how much heartbroken I was when I saw you. I remembered an amazing independent vampire, who didn’t give a damn of who the other thought about him and who did I find ? A weak, oppressed, vegetarian vampire, who preferred drinking animals’ blood over humans’ one. Who tried stubbornly and steadily to repress his true nature, for what ? For a little human girl who would never, ever, loved him for his true nature.”.

“Yes, because You do love me, right ? I don’t remember you ever said me You loved me. Maybe you’ve never done because you’ve never loved me. Why should you have after all ? I’m nothing special, I’ve never been. Not for you anyway and…”

Stefan couldn’t say anything more because Klaus grabbed his face with both his hands and kissed him harder. Stefan didn’t kiss him back at the first, but then he kissed the hybrid back, surrounding the other’s neck with his arms. There was anger, in that kiss, anger, desperation, need of dominance, missing, needy. It seemed that they were continuing their fight through that kiss. Stefan abandoned himself at the kiss at the end. He was tired of fighting Klaus, tired of fighting his feelings for him, tired of repressing who he really were, what he really felt. He loved Klaus, he’ve always had, he would always do. His heart belonged to the hybrid since their first met. Not matter how many times it would have ended up broken in thousand million pieces, not matter how many times Klaus would have hurt him, not matter how many Stefan would have tried to hate him, he’d always love him, and that wasn’t fair. But love was rarely fair and Stefan had to try to deal with it.  
Loving Klaus was a thing, but he couldn’t let Klaus destroy him and everything he cared. He still had a secret to protect from Klaus.

“All this time… And I still love you like if it was yesterday the last time we met… but… I can’t let you hurt me again. I’ve lot of things to loose this time.”.

“Shouldn’t I be more important than the other things you can loose ?”.

“Shouldn’t have I been too ? And still you are disposed to loose me to get everything you want. You’d be capable of destroying me to get what you want”.

“Only if you try to stop me. I’m going to ask you once, would you give up everything and everyone for me ?”.

“Would you ?”

“I asked first”.

“I don’t care”.

Klaus at that point snapped Stefan neck and let him falling down on the floor again, senseless. Stefan didn’t know, but Klaus was tired too. He was tired of hurting him, tired of disappointing him, tired of Stefan’s lies, tired to fight against him, but he had to. He sacrificed and waited too much to brake the curse and create his personal army of hybrids. Stefan could only imagine how it was being one and only in a world where everyone despised you made you feel shamed of how you were born, hide who you are, a world where everyone thought about you like an abomination.  
Klaus learnt a long time ago not to give a damn about what other’s feelings. People ignored his pain for so long that Klaus learnt to ignore their too. Nothing about other was important to him, nothing.  
No one cared about him where his father abused him, where he destroyed everything he loved, when his siblings turned against him.  
No one care about him in such a long time that he forgot how it was when someone cared about him.  
Stefan was the first person who saw him as a King and who conquered his heart. He became Klaus’ strongest weakness, when he didn’t suppose to have any weakness at all. Maybe he let Stefan go because he wanted to stop to feel weak, because he wanted to stop to care about someone else, because he wanted to go back when he couldn’t have any feelings for anyone, when it was so easy being selfish and self center, when it was so easy pretend that the loneliness wasn’t so painful, because once he abandoned Stefan, he didn’t stop, not even for a second, to feel alone and abandoned. He’s been feeling a cruel emptiness inside of him since he left Chicago in the roaring twenties. He felt betrayed and hurt and vengeful when he saw his Stefan in love with another person, not matter if she was Katherine or her doppelgänger, Stefan belonged to him. Probably Stefan wouldn’t have believed him, but while Klaus was kissing him for the first time, he knew he was falling in love with him too, even if it had been more difficult for him to admit to himself.  
Falling in love was weak, was a human’s stuff. Love was a vampire’s greatest weakness, and the vampire weren’t weak, they didn’t feel and they didn’t care. That were his words, that were his rule, that were his armature, the walls he built up against the world.  
Stefan destroyed it, a simple vampire so much younger than him that could kill him with just a smile. Klaus died and came back alive every time he kissed Stefan.  
‘Why ? Why do I love you ?” Klaus thought while the truck stopped. They arrived in Mystic Falls.

  
…

Klaus wasn’t a person who usually got easily angry… indeed he totally skipped that part and he became directly furious when something didn’t go his way. So, when he saw the little doppelgänger alive walking through the high school’s corridors he would have been capable of blowing up the entire school only to be sure to kill the doppelgänger. Could be that ? Could be that the reason why he couldn’t have been able to create a new army of hybrids ?  
How ? How could it be possible ? How could the doppelgänger survive ? Did Stefan know this ? Was this the secret that Stefan was holding to himself ?  
Klaus felt betrayed and anger as never. He knew Stefan had changed a lot since Chicago, he knew he wasn’t his lover Ripper anymore, but he had hoped that, with time and patience, his best friend would have come back to him eventually. But now he understood it was too late.  
Stefan would never be his ripper again, he had lost him forever.  
‘She… she took him away from me”.  
And suddenly that knowledge brake something inside of Klaus that he though it could never be fixed again. It was the knowledge to have lost his loved ones forever.

“That’s my girl” he said when she saw him.

“Klaus”.

The doppelgänger gasped, she was scared and Klaus smiled, liking what he was seeing in her eyes. She was doing right by fearing him, she should have, he would make her suffer, both of them knew it. She tried to run, but Klaus was faster than her.

“You were supposed to be dead. What are we going to do about that ?”.

‘What are we going to do about you stealing my boyfriend from me?’, that was what Klaus wanted to say, but he didn’t. He didn’t want her to know how much she hurt him by taking away the only person who had ever truly loved him. Or the he supposed to say the person who used to love him. Stefan didn’t love him anymore, and even if the younger vampire still had some feelings for him it didn’t matter, Stefan chose the girl over him. He lied to him during all the summer, during all their time together.  
Klaus didn’t expect Stefan to love him again, but he at least hoped to have gained his allegiance. It didn’t happen and now Klaus was feeling lonely as ever.

“You put rather large came from my plan, sweetheart. The whole point of breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to make more hybrids. I haven’t been able to do that, now my bet is it has something to do with the fact that you’re still breathing.”

“If you’re gonna to kill me just do it” said the brave doppelgänger.

“I’m not gonna do until I know I’m right, but I do have ways of making you suffer”

‘As you’re making me suffer…” Klaus though while he was entering in the gym, where other students were preparing some stupid jokes for the Senior Prank Night.

“Attention seniors !! You have officially been busted. Prank night is over then go home.” but then he decided to have more entertainment “You two !!” he said pointed two guys who were getting out with all the other students “I remember you !”

“I’m sorry, who are you ?”, asked the human girl a little confused.

“Oh don’t worry, I wasn’t in my right head last time we met. Could you lift up your leg ?”, the girl lifted up her leg and then Klaus said to the boy “If she drops her leg, I want you to beat her to death, understood ?”

“Don’t Klaus, you don’t have to hurt anyone”

Elena was begging him for mercy. Always so brave, so ready to protect everyone. Klaus could say why Stefan fell in love with her, he wanted so much someone who could truly care about him, who wasn’t shame of loved someone, who told him how much she needed him without shame, without the fear to look weak.  
Stefan chose her over him because she didn’t fear or hide her feelings for him.  
Klaus clenched his fists for the anger.

“Oh come on, love. Of course I do”

‘I have to make you suffer in this way and even more’.

He sit down on the and waited. He knew that when Stefan regained consciousness he would come there to look for him and Elena. So he just waited. Probably now the younger vampire was fighting against Rebekah, but Klaus truly hoped that Stefan arrived there. He wanted him to look him in the eyes and told him that he didn’t care for the doppelgänger anymore, that he never knew that she survived when he tried to kill her, that he did care for their friendship, that he would have given up everything for his forgiveness. Klaus wanted Stefan to choose his side over Elena’s ones. Klaus wanted Stefan to choose him once and for all.  
When Stefan arrived, few hours later, it was clear by his face that his struggle with Rebekah had been more challenge that he though, but Klaus didn’t care. Stefan was finally there and now, now, Klaus would have finally seen if he had lost Stefan forever. In this case… well… things wouldn’t end up well for anyone.

“Klaus” said Stefan when he entered.

“Come to save your damsel mate ?” asked Klaus trying to hide his anger and above all his jealously “Did my sister let you escape ?”.

Klaus didn’t care about Rebekah conditions, he knew his sister would have been fine eventually, she was an original like him after all. Even if she wasn’t an hybrid, she still was one of the strongest creature in the world, so he knew she was fine. And he was secretly glad for Stefan’s arrival, even if he knew that the younger vampire wasn’t there for him, but for the doppelgänger.

“No, we fought and at the end I could escape and came here, but she will be fine” Stefan reassured him.

“So, you hurt her… well I must say I’m not surprise at all. You know, vampires like me have the strange tendency to underestimate the ones like you, always so boring and innocent. We alway thought that vampires like you are not a threat, but we are wrong. I’ve been wrong, you know exactly how hurt, device and defeat a vampire like me. Indeed you’ve been devising me since we left this town.” said Klaus, then he indicate Elena and said “How couldn’t you tell me she was still alive ?”

Stefan gasped. He was feeling so guilty and shamed. That was funny, because few hours ago, he wanted hurt Klaus even more, in a crueler way, as Klaus had made him suffer, but now Stefan felt guilty for having hurt him, for having lying all the summer, for having betrayed him, but he had to. Klaus put him in a complicated position, he still was in a complicated position. Stefan knew that it was the moment to officially choose his side. Elena or Klaus, head or heart, the good or the evil, his true love or his soulmate. He couldn’t avoid this moment anymore.  
And he was truly sorry because he remembered that night when all the new hybrids died during the transition and Klaus looked at him with the most desperate and sadder look of all the time.

“I’m here to ask for your forgiveness and pledge my loyalty.”

Stefan said, trying to making Klaus understand how sorry he was, but the anger was making Klaus blind at his displeasure so Stefan understood that in that moment it didn’t matter what he said, Klaus wouldn’t believed him anyway.

“Well you broke that pledge once already”.

Klaus didn’t want to say that, he didn’t want to show to Stefan how hurt and betrayed he felt but the words came out from his mouth before he could stop them. He was looking at Stefan and he could say that the younger vampire was truly sorry but Klaus didn’t care. He was too furious to care.

“Come on, Klaus. Elena means nothing to me anymore…” Stefan knew that lying wouldn’t have improved the situation and he knew that Klaus was too perceptive and that ke already knew he was lying but he wanted to try.

There was something new in Klaus’s eyes… was it… jealously ? Impossible. Klaus’s always though about him like a possession. He probably was pissed because he didn’t tolerate that someone else over him had put his hands, or her hands in that case, on one of his favorite toy.

“Whatever you ask of me… I will do”

Stefan really meant that words. He would have done anything to be forgiven by Klaus. Even if he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, he knew he had hurt the hybrid and he felt guilty for that.  
He didn’t regret to have protected Elena by the man the loved, he only regretted not to be strong enough to love him. To hate him, for everything Klaus had done to him. But he couldn’t.

“Fair enough” Klaus exclaimed getting up “Let’s drink on it. Kill them” he said pointing the two guys on bitted on the floor.

Klaus wanted made both Elena and Stefan suffer. He wanted revenge on them. They had dared hanging on him, they had played him for a fool all the summer and now he would have got his revenge turning their paradise into a living hell. He hated them.

“What are you waiting for ? Kill them”.

Klaus knew Stefan wouldn’t have dared to kill them, the younger “innocent” fool wanted Elena to believe he was still a good, vegetarian, controlled guy who would have never hurt anyone. Well, Klaus was going to destroy it, he would destroy the good Stefan Salvatore and he would have made his old lover Ripper come back.  
Elena would despise him, she would never forgive him if he killed innocent people and Stefan would finally understand that Elena didn’t deserve him, that she had never accepted him or his vampire nature.  
Stefan would come back to him.

“Stefan don’t. He’s not gonna hurt me, he already said…”

Klaus slapped her right into her face, not with all his strength even if he wanted to. He wanted to kill her over and over again, in front of Stefan. He wanted him to see her dying, while he couldn’t do anything to help her.  
Stefan attacked him, trying to protect Elena, but Klaus stopped him and grabbed his throats. Klaus wanted to kill him but he did the mistake of looking him in the eyes, the eyes he loved so much, and for a moment he thought about going away, stopping all that craziness, trying to be forgiven by Stefan, but the anger was too strong.  
‘You hurt me too’, that his eyes were saying.  
‘I know. I’m sorry’, that was answering Stefan’s eyes.  
Klaus was blind, too blind. For him, Stefan’s eyes were saying lies and nothing else.

“She means nothing to you ? Your lies just keep piling up”

“Let her go. I’ll do whatever you want, you have my word”

“Your word doesn’t mean much. I lived by your word all summer during which time I never had to resort to this” Klaus snarled very furious “Stop fighting and…”

“Please don’t do this” Stefan pleaded.

Stefan knew what Klaus was going to do. He wanted revenge, he wanted him to give up his feelings, his love for Elena, he wanted to give up everything who had made him a better person all that years. Klaus didn’t want Stefan to exist anymore, he wanted his Ripper back.  
Now Stefan understood that he not only had to choose between Klaus and Elena, but who he really wanted to be.  
Being Stefan Salvatore, the lovely innocent vegetarian guy made Elena fell in love with him, but he knew that, if he dared to drink human blood, she would have never seen him with the same eyes.  
On the other end, Klaus didn’t fell in love with him, he fell in love with the Ripper, he wanted the ripper, he despised Stefan for who he became, he didn’t accept him for who he were. Klaus wanted his killer dangerous self back.  
So, why did he had to choose between two persons who would never stop to impose him who to be ?  
Why couldn’t both of them completely accepting him ?

“I didn’t want to. All I wanted was your allegiance, now I have to take it. You will do exactly as I say and I say you will not run, you will not hide, you’ll simple just obey”

“No, Stefan…”

“Now kill them, Rippah”

Stefan killed them, he drunk all their blood, he almost destroyed their jugulars when he bitted them. The girl first, then the boy. He killed them both. He didn’t want to, but he did, he wanted to stop himself, but he couldn’t, he didn’t want enjoy it, but a part of him, the Ripper inside of him, was screaming, was pleading him to continue, not to stop.  
His Ripper self wanted come back in charge, wanted to take his place back, wanted to take his life. Stefan had to stop him, had to stop himself.  
The worst part of the entire scenario was the Elena was looking him while he drunk them. He had been killing innocent people for the entire summer but he’s never felt so ashamed of himself like this time.  
He was really hating Klaus in that moment and any feeling of regret or sadness toward the hybrid disappeared. Stefan didn’t deserve this, Klaus knew it but he was hurt him anyway. Klaus was trying to take everything away from him. If he had success, Stefan would never forgive him this time.

“Always nice to see a vampire in his true element , species one has become such a pretty hard” said Klaus in Elena’s ear.

“No, you did this to him” said Elena with anger.

“I invited him to the party, love, he’s the one who’s dancing on the table”

Klaus looked gleeful and happy while he was talking, but inside he was still suffering, a lot. A part of him knew he was doing something wrong, that that was cruel, that if he wanted Stefan back that wasn’t the best way to do, but another part didn’t care.  
Stefan deserved this, he deserved to be who he really were, to show his true himself in front of the girl who was trying so stubbornly to suppress his nature.  
Klaus had enough of seeing Stefan pretending to be someone who he wasn’t, and he had enough of Elena having so much power and influence over Stefan.  
Elena was right, he was doing this to Stefan, he was the one who were setting him free, once and for all. Klaus wanted his cruel lover back, marked Stefan once and for all. He wanted Elena to understand that, no matter what she did, or what she said, Stefan would have always chose him over her. They belonged to each other. Stefan belonged to him. Klaus would shot it to everyone, as he had already had once.

…

_Stefan Salvatore had always been a lovely young guy. Even when he was still human, people couldn’t take their eyes off him when he was in their same room._  
_He was a kind little boy, nice and gentle with everyone, that was the reason why he was considered the Golden Boy by everyone and had the admiration and respect of the entire town of Mystic Falls. He used to be the favorite of his father too for his good behave._  
_Even the most insensible of heartbreakers, like Katherine Pierce, fell in love with him at the end._  
_Who could have blame them ? Who could have blame Klaus for falling in love with the younger Salvatore ?_  
_The same Klaus who turned off his humanity not to feel anything anymore, the same Klaus who hated the younger Salvatore with all himself the first time they met, the same Klaus who swore to himself than he would never fall in love with someone again. The same Klaus who tried so hard not to fall in love with his former best friend._  
_But now… now he was seeing him, his Stefan, dancing with his sister Rebekah and he couldn’t take his eyes off them, even if that sight was irritating him._  
_He should have, but he was so jealous of his sister, because she could dance with Stefan in front of anyone, because she didn’t feat to look weak only because she was in love with someone._  
_Would have Klaus had the same courage to show his love for Stefan ?_  
_Klaus had always laughed at Rebekah for her tendency of falling in love too easily, but now what about him ? He has known Stefan only for few days and he was already in love with the little fool._  
_How could that happen ? How could he didn’t notice he was falling in love with Stefan Salvatore ?_  
_Klaus didn’t even understand he loved the other vampire until their first kiss. The kiss which bounded them together, forever._  
_When their lips touched, Klaus felt complete, safe, happy, scare… in love._  
_And now ? Now his own jealously was devouring him. He always been possessive over is properties and even if he knew Stefan would never appreciate being considered a property, a toy or something like that, but Klaus considered him his and Stefan had to accept that._  
_Klaus would never allowed anyone else to be with Stefan, to touch him, or kiss him or love him. He would punish everyone who dare to take Stefan away from him, whoever who would tried to change him._  
_As a vampire, he had a better hearing than humans and he didn’t escape the comment of two women who were sitting not far from him._

_“Nora, darling, are you seeing that gorgeous young man who’s dancing with that beautiful blonde girl ?”_

_“Of course Isabelle. I couldn’t have noticed him only if I were blind. Fortunately I’m not. He’s really a gorgeous young man. That blond girl is really lucky for dancing with him. I’m sure he’s going to ask her hand, sooner or later. They’re an adorable couple”._

_“Totally agree. If I was her, I would do everything to being his wife. I’m sure he’s a rich boy too. Don’t know why, but something in him’s suggesting me that.”._

_Klaus stopped to listened the two tedious women who had already said enough._  
_He didn’t want, he knew it was irrational, but he was really hating his sister in that moment. Why her ? Why other considered Stefan her boyfriend ? Why did that women say that they were going to marry ? Why did they talk about wedding in the first place ?_  
_The only though of Stefan belonging with someone else forever was enough to make Klaus losing his mind._  
_That was because he proposed to Stefan to go out for a walk together. He said he wanted go somewhere else than Gloria’s and Stefan accepted his invitation._  
_Klaus took him into a secret club, owned by another old friend of him, an old vampire, who was temporary in charge of that place whose name Stefan would never remembered about._

_“It’s nice” he commentated when he entered._

_“Yeah, it’s nice that there’s a place where we can be ourselves. Here we can find humans who were already under compulsion, there aren’t witches who try to control us, There are only we and our.. food…”_

_“Now I like this place even more. Who’s gonna be our first victim ?” asked Stefan looked at some girls who were sitting all alone in a corner, with the blank stare, almost lifeless._

_“Pick the one you like the most” said Klaus._

_Stefan came closer to one of them, he grabbed her hand with kindness but he bitted her roughy and the girl gasped for pain, even if she wasn’t exactly consciousness of what was happening to her in that moment._  
_Then he gently grabbed her throat and then he licked her neck and bitted it._  
_He gave her few bites and a long trail of blood run down her neck._  
_Stefan didn’t want kill her faster, he wanted enjoy his meal, bite after bite._  
_Klaus was really enjoying he view. He loved seeing Stefan feeding and killing his victims, he was almost coming closer to him, but the owner of the place, his old friend, arrived that moment, next to him._

_“My, my… what are seeing my eyes ? My old pal’s here tonight, in my little club. How long haven’t we seen each other, Niklaus ?”._

_The man was a gorgeous you man, whose didn’t seem older than thirty. He had dark brown hair, pale skin, green eyes and with delicate facial features._

_“Not so much, Alexander. I see your business is going well”._

_“Thanks to prohibitionism. Girls, boys, humans of all ages come here to drink something decent, I give it to them and they… well, pay me back in not a traditional way. But who cares ? My fellow vampires are happy of this. Who am I to spoil their fun?”._

_“In fact, I’m here for a little fun. I got bore to be always careful of not be seeing drinking by someone in the Gloria’s. At least here I can do whatever I want and drink how much I want” said Klaus._

_“I know that Gloria doesn’t leave vampires a lot of freedom. How blame her ? Humans are her clients, vampires are mine. So… pick a girl and have fun as that lovely young vampire there” said Alexander pointing toward Stefan._

_Klaus followed Alexander’s look and he didn’t like how the other vampire was looking at Stefan._  
_Alexander was looking at his property as he was a delicious dessert._

_“He’s Stefan Salvatore, he’s with me”, said Klaus emphasizing the word “with”._

_Alexander understood him quickly and he apologized for his mistake. Klaus ignored him and his useless words. He wanted to kill him, only to have dare commenting Stefan like that. How did he dare ?_  
_How everyone dare ?_  
_Only now, that Klaus was looking around, he noticed that other vampires in the club were looking at Stefan with a clear desire in their eyes. Fortunately, Stefan still was completely focused on his first victim to notice he was observed by half people in the club._  
_When the younger vampire got tired of his first meal, he looked up towards Klaus and he smiled to him, It wasn’t an overbearing grin, but a kind small sincerely smile and it was all for Klaus._  
_Klaus didn’t smile back, he knew the other vampire was looking at him, curious to see the famous Original hybrid they’d been hearing so much about with their eyes and also curious to know if him and Stefan were together._  
_Klaus did just what he always did, he came closer to Stefan and sit near him on the couch._

_“What ? Aren’t you enjoy the evening ?” asked Stefan, who had already understand that something wasn’t right._

_“It’s not this. I don’t like how the other are looking at you.”_

_“Are other vampires looking at me ? Don’t be ridiculous. There’re looking at me only because they fear I can steal all the best meals” Stefan joked._

_“You’re such young and naïve sometimes…” Klaus whispered almost with resignation._

_Stefan didn’t heard, he was going to bit another girl, but Klaus grabbed his chin and made Stefan look him in the eyes._

_“I’m hunger…” Klaus whispered bringing his face close to the other boys, and with an evident desire in his cold blue eyes._

_“Then, do what you told me to… pick the one you like the most…” said Stefan, almost hypnotized by Klaus’s eyes._

_“Ouch, love… I’m sure I’m going to follow my own advice…”_

_Stefan was going to talk again, but Klaus grabbed him by his throat and then, gently, he bitted him, sucking his blood as his life was depending on it._  
_Stefan almost moaned, but he stopped himself in time. He didn’t know how he should have felt about it. Was a good thing that another male vampire was sucking his blood in that erotic way ?_  
_In front of other vampires who were looking at them with strange look on their face._  
_Some of them were devouring by jealously and envy, but Klaus didn’t care._  
_Stefan belonged to him, he was… he was… his… everything. He was his everything._  
_And now every one would know this._  
_Stefan felt the werewolf genome entered in his veins, but he didn’t retried, he didn’t try to stop Klaus or to push his teeth out of his skin. He liked it. Even if it was dangerous… the masochist part of Stefan was truly enjoying that moment and he wanted Klaus to bit him deeper._  
_Stefan blushed, maybe he was too young for a vampire and he didn’t still know everything he needed to know, but Lexi had explained him that if a vampire bitted another ones in that ways it means that he belonged to him._

_“Yes you belong to me…” said Klaus, almost like he had read Stefan’s thoughts “You will belong to me forever”._

  
_…_

“He still could be my everything”, Klaus thought.

Klaus was really enjoying the show but then a living blonde hurricane entered in the room.

“Where’s my necklace ?” asked Rebekah entering inside the room.

“What are you talking about ?”.

“she has my necklace. Look” said Rebekah giving a cell to Klaus.

“Well well, more lies” said Klaus after seeing a picture of Stefan and Elena together and the famous necklace around the doppelgänger’s neck.

“Where is it ?” asked Rebekah to Elena.

“I don’t have it anymore” answered Elena.

“You’re lying”.

Rebekah attacked Elena and bitted her, but Klaus took her away and Elena fell on the floor.

“Knock it off !” shouted Klaus.

“I can her tell me where it is, Nik” shouted Rebekah back.

“Where’s the necklace, sweetheart ? Be honest” said Klaus getting on his knees.

“I’m telling the truth. Katherine stole it” answered Elena.

“Katerina , of course”

Klaus, if possibile, was even more furious now. Katerina was one of the people he wanted to kill the most, especially now that she was interfering into his plans.  
Klaus was already imagining about million times to make that bitch suffer but now he had other things to fix if he wanted finally form his army oh hybrids.  
He would deal with Katerina later.

“Well, this is unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would have made things a lot of easier for your witch but since we do this in the hard way… Let’s put a clock on it, shall we ?” said Klaus.

He turned on the Timer and said “Twenty minutes ! Bonny hadn’t find the solution by then I want you to feed again and this time…” he said looking Stefan in his eyes “I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to”

‘Please, don’t do this to me’, that was what Stefan’s eyes were saying. Klaus didn’t care.

“Oh Klaus… don’t do this to him” said Elena, almost as she read in Stefan’s mind.

“If she tries to run, fracture her spine”

Then Klaus went away and Stefan remained alone with his fear, his pain and his anger.  
Klaus was perfectly capable of holding a grudge, indeed he knew exactly what he had to do when it came to hurt him.  
Klaus knew his weakness… loyalty, love, friendship… the list was too long.

“I’m sorry Elena” he said.

Stefan didn’t even know what he was apologizing for. Was he apologizing for having kill in front of her ? Was he apologizing for his incapacity of stop himself from killing two innocent people ?  
Or worst… was he apologizing for turning his humanity off a long time ago ? For having being a Ripper ? For having been in love with Klaus ? For being in love with Klaus, actually.  
Stefan knew he should have got over his love for Klaus but he couldn’t.  
His friends would never accept that.  
But… was loving Klaus forever so wrong ? Even afte everything the hybrid had done to him ?  
Stefan didn’t want to move one, Klaus was his everything, not Elena.  
But Elena was the one who needed his loyalty and protection, not Klaus. But he knew he couldn’t fight Klaus’s compulsion for too much time, but he could try to stop him for enough time to let her run away.  
There were only six minutes when time ran out and Elena was begging him not to surrender at Klaus’s will, she was begging him to continue to fight, she was praying him to be strong enough for her, but Stefan couldn’t ignore his feelings anymore, he couldn’t fight his love, he couldn’t, he didn’t want to.  
At some point time ran out, he begged Elena to run aways, she did.  
She was running away from him, while he was trying to stop compulsion, when Klaus caught her again.

“Now this is fascinating, I’ve never seen this before. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood, is your love for this one girl. Why don’t you turn it off ?” asked Klaus coming closer to Stefan.

“No” said Stefan.

“Come one ! This humanity is killing you. All the guilt must be exhausting. Turn it off”

“No !” Stefan shouted.

“Stefan…” Elena whispered.

“You’re strong but you’re not that strong. Turn it off”

“Nooo !”.

Stefan pushed Klaus away, but the hybrid pushed him back against the wall.

“Well well… If you’re really determinate to suffer, to feel and to be so… weak… who am I to deny this to you ? Indeed… I have an idea… You and my new hybrid will go with me….”

“What…”

“You will stay at my side for the rest of your misery life but not as a friend, or a lover, or an alley, but as my slave. I’m going to make you suffer, you’re going regret to have ever hurt me as you have done. I can assure you”.

Then Klaus snapped his neck.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus pushed Stefan so hard that he fell backward.  
> There was a strange silence between them in that moment. There was a silence made of untold words, of hidden feelings, of pain, of fear, of anger and tears.  
> Stefan stood up, apparently calm, not showing the hurricane inside him, and came close to Klaus.  
> He felt old, so incredibly old and tired. Tired of waiting for someone who apparently didn’t want him at all. He didn’t deserve to suffer in this way, not for Klaus, not anymore. He had been waiting an year and he would have waited forever if only Klaus had stopped to hurt and lie to him.  
> But Klaus made clear his priorities which were power, his hybrids, his reputation and his kingdom and it was clear that there wasn’t space for Stefan in his life neither in heart. So why kept suffer ?

ONE YEAR LATER… NEW ORLEANS

At the end, it turned out that Elena’s blood was the key to create new hybrids, so Klaus decided to leave town with Rebekah, Tyler and other hybrids, and Elena and Stefan. Elena as his personal blood bag, and Stefan as his personal slave. To avoid any kind of complications, he obliged Bonnie to use a spell to make everyone forget about him, Tyler and Elena, and then Klaus compelled Bonnie herself to do the same. In that way, no one would have ever tried to look for them.  
Klaus enjoyed humiliating him, beating him, having violent sex with him.  
He enjoyed making Stefan suffer.  
He also started a relationship with Tyler. Tyler was sired, he didn’t really love Klaus, but he was completely dependent on him. As Klaus became his favorite drug.  
Klaus prohibited Stefan to feed on animal's blood and treated him to let him die if he wouldn’t have feed on humans.  
That was one of the few things that Stefan didn’t accept. He had a violent fight with Klaus about his vegetarian diet.

...

_Klaus was holding Stefan's flask with animal's blood in his left hand and he was trying to stop himself from constricting it between his fingers. He had just caught Stefan up drinking animal's blood and he was furious for that. He had forbidden Stefan to continue his vegetarian diet but the younger vampire, even if he was still highly tempted to drink human blood again, kept his vegetarian diet only to spite Klaus and to demonstrate him he wasn't one of his slaves. That he was independent and that he didn't fear him._

_‘You are a vampire Stefan ! I’ve always told you that a vampire takes what he wants when it wants and how it wants and doesn’t give a damn about what the other think about him !” shouted Klaus completely pissed off of the other stubbornness._

_“Well I give a damn of what I think of myself !! I used to be a ripper and I’ve been feeling guilty since I turned my humanity on thanks to Lexi and…”_

_“Oh great ! Another woman you choose over me and you vampire nature !! Fantastic ! Another wench who ruined all my handwork in you !”_

_“Stop talking about this as it is a competition bec…”_

_“Oh, don’t worry Stefan, I could never talk about this as a competition. I always loose !!”_

_“Why ? Why can’t you just accept me for who I really am ? I’ve never wanted you to change for me, even now, even after all the pain you put me through, I don’t want you to be someone you’re not. Why can’t you try to do the same ? Why can’t you allow me to be who I want to be ?”_

_“Because who you want to be is not who you really are! You’re suffocating your true self under all the guilty, the need for approval and your love for Elena !”_

_“I don’t love Elena anymore! You’re an original, you should be more perceptive than this, don’t you think ?”._

_“Don’t try to fool me Stefan. You better remember what happened last time you tried to fool me…”_

_“How could I forget ? How could I forget that you took my whole life away from me ? Eh ? How could I forget that I’ve been humiliating by you and your stupid hybrids since we left Mystic Falls ? How could I forget that you, instead of trying to understand why I lied to you, had been so blind to kidnap me and put me in this living hell ?”_

_“You asked for it !! I gave you a possibility to get my forgiveness but you failed another time !”._

_“You wouldn’t have forgiven my anyway, not matter what. When you saw Elena alive, the anger made you so blind…”_

_“I had my good reasons! You had to pay consequences for betraying me !”_

_“You are so arrogant, paranoid, self center…”_

_“I suggest you to stop there…”_

_“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve never been and If I can’t drink animal blood then I won’t drink until you change your mind or I die. Don’t care.”_

_Klaus growled and then talked, but his voice seemed a grown of an animal “You’re going to do as I say. You’re going to drink human blood, because you…” Klaus grabbed the other arm then continue “You are a vampire, you’re mine vampire and mine vampire does whatever it takes to pleasure me!!!”_

_“I can’t be yours if you had to kidnapped me to make me stay”_

_With that last sentence, Stefan knew he had said too much, but he wasn’t sorry. He was anger, almost desperate, and for a moment he really thought that dying was better than living like a prisoner, not being free even to feed as he wanted. Klaus bitted him and almost killed him. Stefan really though that he would have died but at some point Klaus gave him some blood and let him go. Klaus couldn't let him die, not because he didn't want to set him free from him, but because, even after everything happened him, he loved the younger fool too much to let him die, to stay without him. He couldn't live without Stefan, he could hate him, he could hurt him, but he couldn't let him go._

...

Since that near-death experience, Stefan was free of feeding on animal blood. He knew Klaus wasn’t happy about it and that the other hybrids, Tyler included, mocked him and laughed at him for that, but they all shut up when Klaus entered in the room.  
They knew that Klaus wouldn’t have allowed anyone to hurt Stefan in any way, nor with words or with actions.  
Klaus was the only one allowed to hurt Stefan, because he was his and only his.  
Stefan wasn’t happy about the entire situation. He’s been really considering he suffered of Stockholm Syndrome since he left Mystic Falls.  
One day he talked about it with Elena. It wasn’t easy at first. Both of their lives had been turned into a living hell we couldn’t escape from. Both of them wanted back their past lives, with their friends and their families, but they couldn’t. Klaus would have never let them go.  
But, even in that horrible situations, they supported and comforted each other, they did force the one with the other, hoping that one day they would be happy again.

‘Do you still love Klaus ? Even though everything he had done to us ? To you ?” asked Elena one day, while they were sitting on the bed of Elena’s room.

“How long have you known this ?” asked Stefan not particularly surprised.

“I used to have doubts, a lot, at the begin. I thought you were pretending of loving him because Klaus ordered you to. But then I started to observe your eyes, they shine, they are bright every time Klaus is in the same room. And… You look at him as you used to look at me, just with more intensity”.

Stefan remained silence for a moment, then he said “I’m sorry Elena”.

“Don’t need to be sorry. We can’t blame ourselves for our feelings. In fact… I was starting to feel… something for Damon… while you were away. I didn’t want to, it just happened.”

Stefan nodded, surprised not to feel anger or jealous about that revelation, then said “You and Damon would have been happy… I’d have been happy for you too”.

“Yeah ? I can’t say I’d be happy for you and Klaus at equal measure. He hurt you so much and he had done horrible things to us. Damon had done horrible things too but he’s never hurt me. Klaus seems to enjoy hurting you”.

“He’s angry with me. He had his reasons but I don’t regret to have helped you. You deserve to live and have an happy life and he didn’t have the right to sacrifice yourself for his useless army of marionettes”.

“Yeah well… Can’t say I’m completely happy but… I do really appreciate what you have done for me. Really. You’ve been so ready to give up everything for my safe, even your brother and I… well, it’s a debt that I’d never be able to pay you back”.

“Seeing you smile again… that would be my recompensation. It would mean that everything I’ve done worth something”.

“For me worth everything” said Elena grabbing Stefan’s hand.

Stefan kissed her forehead and Elena hugged him affectionately. Everyone could notice that there was any malice or romantic feelings in that hug. Everyone would have thought that it was a fraternal hug. Unfortunately Klaus wasn’t everyone and when he entered in the bedroom, without knocking, and saw the two guys while they were hugging each other, jealously, anger and fury almost took over him, pushing him to kill the doppelgänger and he would have done, but she was essential for the creation of his hybrids.  
The little backstabber toddler, on the other hand…

“Well, well, I’m sorry if I had interrupted your romantic moment, or… actually, I’m not sorry at all. The only idea of you two making out in my house is enough to make me feel sick.”

“Yes because you’re the only one who can have an harem, right ? You, Tyler… who else ?” asked Stefan with irony.

“Do you really want to make me say it in front of your innocent girlfriend ?” asked Klaus with an arrogant smirk.

“She’s already known everything. We don’t have secrets with each other” said Stefan enjoying the view of Klaus’ jealously.

“Yeah, and green doesn’t suit on you, Klaus. Don’t worry, I don’t want take your boyfriend away from you.”

“Your insolence is… delicious. My hybrids are lucky to have you” said Klaus licking his lips.

Elena got scared and for a moment she thought Klaus needed her blood in that moment to create new hybrids. But he just went away with Stefan and when he closed the door behind, Elena felt a sense of relief.  
When they arrived in Klaus’s bedroom, Klaus locked up the door.

“You should stop to scare her in that way.” said Stefan sitting on the bed.

“You should stop to criticize me. And Elena deserved that”.

“Why did she dare to put one of her gently hand on me ? One of your properties ?”.

“No, not for that, but thanks for remembering me that particular. I will make sure for her not to touch you again.”

“She’s right, anyway. Green doesn’t suit on you. What are you worry about ?” asked Stefan.

“Worry ? There’s nothing I worry about. Especially you. Everyone here know you belong to me.”

“Tyler too ? Does he like sharing you with me ?” asked Stefan trying to hide his jealously.

Stefan could smell Tyler’s scent on Klaus’s skin and he hated it. He hated when he heard Klaus and Tyler having sex in the room next to his bedroom. He hated when he saw Klaus kissing Tyler passionately. Stefan knew Klaus kissed Tyler only to make him jealous, and Stefan thought, or at least hoped, that Klaus still cared for him.  
Stefan really hoped so, because the hope that Klaus still loved him was the only thing Stefan had left.  
Klaus on the other would have lied if he didn’t admit he was loving seeing Stefan jealous of him and Tyler, even if he didn’t have any reason. It was true, Klaus had sex with Tyler sometimes, but Klaus didn’t enjoy it at all. Every time the werewolf touched him, sucked his skin, kissed his lips, Klaus imagined Stefan at his place.  
Klaus tried not to, but Stefan always invaded his mind. He was the first and last thing he though about in a day. Stefan’s moans were the cutest and sexiest melody he heard every time they had sex. Stefan’s vegetarian diet was one of the things he hated most about him and nevertheless sometimes, only sometimes, Klaus found it adorable too.  
One day, he followed Stefan in the woods, trying not to be caught up by the younger vampire, and he found Stefan taking in his hands the body of a little rabbit. He was sucking rabbit’s blood and even if he didn’t have an enthusiastic expression on his face, Klaus found him adorable and when Stefan buried the animal in sign of “respect”, Klaus couldn’t believed it and he almost laughed but he didn’t. Stefan looked so sad for the life he had already taken, even if this time was only a rabbit, and Klaus, for the first time, truly understood the other’s need to control his bloodlust. This was because Klaus stopped trying to make him drink human blood again.  
Since then he had been observing Stefan more than before. He may tried to understand him for the first time. To pass over his own anger and to understand why Stefan lied to him.  
Stefan couldn’t be an hybrid, he was a toddler vampire but still no one, not even Tyler, his first hybrid, could compare him or take his place in Klaus’s heart.  
Stefan’s was everything for Klaus. Always had been, always would be.

“Green doesn’t suit you too, Stefan. And Tyler understand that he don’t possess me. I’m free to do whatever and fuck whoever I want.” said Klaus pushing the younger vampire on the mattress.

“Why shouldn’t I be jealous ? You know what I feel for you.”

“Don’t try to fool me now, Stefan. You had broken my heart too times in past, aren’t you satisfied ?”.

“You had broken mine too. We both have hurt the other. I’m the only one who always recognized his responsibilities and the only one who ever tried to apologized. The only thing you’ve ever done is putting all the blame on me”

Klaus kissed him, not wanting hear any other word.  
He hated seeing Stefan and Elena together, and now he needed to claim to the world that Stefan belonged to him.  
With his vampire speed, he stripped Stefan of his T-shirt, and then he sucked his soft skin.

“Why are… are you so sweet ?”.

Klaus didn’t answer. He knew why Stefan had asked him that question. Klaus wasn’t a gentle lover with Stefan, he vented his anger on him when they had sex. But now Klaus wasn’t angry, he didn’t want hurt his toddler, he just wanted to make love with him.  
He wanted Stefan to feel good, he wanted to see in Stefan’s eyes a look of pure pleasure and adoration toward him. Klaus really missed that look on Stefan’s face.  
He missed him in all ways actually, but he was too proud to admit to himself that he had his faults too in their relationship.  
He kissed every single part of Stefan’s body, he stripped him of the rest of his clothes and then he kissed him on the lips.  
Stefan did the same to Klaus, surprised that the hybrid hadn’t stop him. Stefan loved Klaus’s tattoo, he found it incredible sexy. Usually Klaus liked having the complete control over him and his body and he didn’t want Stefan to touch him.  
But now he was letting Stefan touching him, caressing him, kissing him.

“Bit me…” Klaus whispered “Bit me…”

Stefan couldn’t believe Klaus actually said it. He had never allowed Stefan to bite him when they had a pacific almost normal romantic relationship, why would he let him bit him now ?  
Stefan always thought that bitting another vampire on the neck was an intimate sign of affection and Stefan promised to himself that he would bite and be bitted only by someone who he really loved.  
About the being bitted part, well, he loved Klaus and even if he hadn’t, Klaus was a king of guy who took everything and everyone he wanted without ask for permission.  
Why ask if he could take everything without a single problem ?

“May I ? Really ?” asked Stefan with hope.

Klaus nodded and then Stefan slipped a hand through his hair. Stefan kissed him, first on the check, then forehead, then he kissed him on the lips, surrounding his neck with both of his arms.

“I love you, Klaus. Not matter what…”

Then Stefan bitted him with kindness. The veins on his face didn’t even appeared. He looked like a human who was tasting vampire’s blood for the first time. But Klaus’s blood was better, surely the best thing he ever drunk in his life. Surely he had drunk Klaus’s blood before, when they used to be lover in twenties and when he was bitted by a werewolf, but Klaus never allowed him to drink from his neck like this moment.  
Why was Klaus letting him do that ? Why now ?  
A part of Stefan’s mind was screaming at him to be careful, not to forget that Klaus hadn’t forgiven him for his betray , that all that situation could have been an ingenious trick, but another part of Stefan was begging him not to stop, to let go all his fears, to enjoy Klaus’ company, not to screw up everything again.  
He had already told Klaus he loved him, not matter what and he meant it but may he shouldn't have told him.  
Love was a weakness and loving Klaus was a curse, his personal curse, because once you learnt to love the hybrid, you never stopped. No matter what. Once Klaus earned a space in someone’s heart, that space would belong to him forever.  
Klaus trembled when he heard that words. He didn’t know what to do, because he knew what to say. He loved Stefan but he couldn’t say it, he didn’t want show his love. So he just pushed harder Stefan on the mattress and he kissed him on the lips, sucked them and bitted them.  
Then he sucked the skin on his neck and on his chest, he touched Stefan everywhere, he marked the other’s skin with his teeth, he wanted everyone to see that Stefan belonged to him.

“You’re mine…” he said to Stefan.

“Yes… I’m yours” Stefan answered surrounding Klaus’s neck with both of his arms.

  
“You always will be mine…” Klaus said grabbing Stefan’s chin and looking at him with a predatory look.

Stefan trembled under that look, but not for fear, but because he felt attracted by that look. He wanted Klaus to look at him like that a lot, with pure desire, as Klaus truly needed him. Even if it was only for pleasure.  
Klaus had been looking at him with anger and hatred since he found out the truth about Elena, so Stefan was particularly glad when he saw a different look on the other’s face. Especially that look.

“Yes, I will…” Stefan gasped.

Klaus grabbed both other’s legs.

“You won’t belong to anyone else but me… right ?” said Klaus licking Stefan’s cock.

Stefan grabbed the sheet with a hand, while the other grabbed Klaus’s hair.

“If you don’t answer…” Klaus licked Stefan’s cock again “I will stop”

“Yes… I belong to you… only you…”

“All your body belong to me…” said Klaus licking again “No one will ever touch you in this way… No one… but me…”

“I’m all yours… forever”.

Then Klaus smirked and he started to suck hungrily Stefan’s cock, and he scratched other’s skin with his nails.  
Stefan moaned, while pleasure took over him and then he just abandoned himself to Klaus.  
Klaus licked Stefan’s cock, but he stopped before Stefan came.

“Say that you need me… and I let you come… say that you need me” said Klaus grabbing Stefan’s cheeks.

“I need you… I need you…”

Then Klaus grabbed Stefan by his wrist, he bitted him on the neck, and then he started to penetrate him. He began slowly, then he moved faster and deeper inside Stefan.  
Stefan surrounded Klaus’s wrist with his legs, and his neck with one hand and then he bitted him on the neck.  
Klaus gasped for surprise but he didn’t stop and he didn’t push Stefan away, he pushed him closer.  
When Stefan came, Klaus got out of him and laid on the mattress.

“Now you can go… I don’t need you, love, and if you were looking for love… you should have been with Rebekah, not me. There’s no love in me… for you”.

With that last sentence, Stefan understood he was free to go. He didn’t care about what Klaus had said. The hybrid had been saying that line since they had left Mystic Falls, every time they had sex, or they fought, or every time Stefan told Klaus he loved him.

…

_Klaus was holding Stefan’s wrists with his hands, tighter and tighter while he was roughly fucking the other’s body._  
_Stefan didn’t try to get free of that painful vice, neither to scream, Klaus ordered him not to._

_“You don’t scream… don’t moan… don’t do anything… okay lad ?”_

_So Stefan just stay there, trying to satisfied his “lover” and to hide his tears from him. The sickest part of that was that Stefan, in some twisted ways, was enjoying the entire situation._  
_He loved the pain Klaus was inflicting to him, he was a little masochist, Damon alway told him. He always thought it about himself._

_“I’m going to hurt you, Stefan…”_

_‘Go ahead… I can put it up with it’, Stefan though, while Klaus let him go and he reached out to the bedside table to take a knife he had put in one of the drawers._  
_It wasn’t the first time that Klaus enjoyed to torture Stefan in that way. Well, sometimes he didn’t limit to use a knife._  
_Klaus cut Stefan on the chest and soon some drops of blood got out from the wound. Klaus licked the blood, then he cut Stefan again near the navel. And then again.. and again… as he wanted marked every limb of Stefan’s skill with that knife, as his wanted to make clear to Stefan that he owned him now._

_“I’m not going anywhere… you know ?” said Stefan while Klaus was cutting him again._

_“You talked… you were supposed to be quiet… bad boy” said Klaus slapped Stefan right in the face._

_It didn’t hurt. Or at least Stefan didn’t feel pain at all. He got used to it. He didn’t have any other choices. He made a decision and those were the consequences, suffering by the hands of the man he loved._

_“I don’t care if you hurt me. You can’t hurt me at all” said Stefan wanted provoking Klaus again._

_“Is it a challenge, love ? Are you not tired of suffering ?”_

_“You know I can take everything.”_

_“Good… I hope you’ll be strong enough… I don’t care about you anymore… but I’m not done with you… Your hell is just begun”_

_Then Klaus hurt him, over and over again but Stefan didn’t feel the real pain until the physical ones was done._  
_When Klaus ordered him to get dress and go away, there… there his heart broke up again._

_“And remember… there’s no love here for you anymore…”._

_And then another scar appeared on Stefan’s heart. That words hurt him deeper than the other cuts and wounds Klaus had inflicted on him._  
_But he just nodded, he got dress and he went away, as always, swallowing yet another bitter pill because of his love for Klaus._  
_He just went away, with his broken heart, pretend to be stronger, pretended that he wasn’t falling apart, pretended to be fine._

…

At the beginning it hurt Stefan a lot, then, it just hurt so much that it stopped to hurt. It was just another difference Stefan got used to put up with. It was his life, after all, putting up with other’s cruelty. He couldn’t escape, he couldn’t fight, he couldn’t be free anymore. Stefan only found a consolation in Elena, who was still kind and lovely with him, even if they were not together anymore, but they still cared for each other, even because Elena knew that if Stefan hadn’t tried to escape yet it was because of her, because Stefan wanted be sure she was safe and because he couldn’t abandoned her, he would have never done.  
‘Together until the end…’, they promised that to each other and they would keep their promised until the end.  
Stefan went out Klaus’s bedroom but he didn’t want come back to his bedroom on in Elena’s one. He wanted get out from that house, he needed some fresh air, so he came back to his bedroom, took a jacket, put it on him and went away.

…

Stefan was hunting in the woods, looking for some rabbits to drink, but he had been having the sensation that someone was following him since he entered in the woods. All Stefan’s body was tensed, ready to defend himself in case someone tied to attack him.  
But whoever was following him, it didn’t seem to have any intention to hurt him.

“Whoever you are… I know you’ve been following me… show yourself” exclaimed Stefan tired of being observed.

He had to wait some minutes, but at the end, a female figures with an mischievous smirk on her face appeared.  
Stefan smiled. Katherine Pierce was his stalker, not so much surprising. Stefan was almost surprised that she hadn’t found him before.  
But it wasn’t the major problem. The fact was that troubles followed Katherine everywhere she was, so, if she was there… a lot of bad things were going to happen. Stefan was sure about it.

“Why did you take it so much ? I’m surprised you hadn’t showed up a long time ago” asked Stefan

“Sorry, babe. I had been busy. You know, I had been in Musical Falls five months ago, looking for an efficient partner in crime for defeating Klaus and I found that no one of your pathetic friends remember anything about you, or Elena, or Klaus. Even Damon didn’t remember about his little baby brother. So… I found it really strange and so I’ve started to look for you and my little twin.” answered Katherine.

“What have you done after that ? I don’t believe you spent these last five months painting your nails and doing shopping. What were you looking for ?”.

“A way to defeat Klaus. He may thinks he won the war but he’s wrong. There’s someone who remembers everything about you and Elena and your sexy werewolf friend and that person it’s me.”

“What are you planning to do ?” asked Stefan.

“With the help of a witch, I found the only person who is capable of scaring and killing Klaus. His father Mikael. He is an original Vampire too but he seems… stronger than everyone else in the world. Even Klaus. It’s enough saying that he drunk my blood when I woke him up. Now… he’s ready to kill his son” Katherine smirked with a cruel smile.

“Is he already here ?” asked Stefan.

“Why do you care ? Are you worry for Klaus ? Do you suffer of Stockholm Syndrome ?” joked Katherine with her classic mischievous smirk.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. Why should I be worry for Klaus ? He’s making my life a living hell.”

“Oh come one, babe. Don’t try to fool me, you can’t. I already know you’re in love with Klaus. I had been observing you since I arrived here in New Orleans. He’s so… cuuuute, you know ? He is in denial but he can’t hide his feelings for you, not from me anyway. It’s your secret power, after all”.

“My secret power ?”

“You make people falling in love with you and even when you brake their hearts… they can’t stop to love you. I’m talking for experience”.

“You hurt me, Katherine. I loved you, and you used me.” said Stefan without any piety or displeasure in his voice.

“Klaus’s hurting you too. What’s the difference ?” asked Katherine with clear resentment in her voice.

“I don’t know. Klaus is… maybe Klaus has some superpower too. Once you love him you can’t stop from doing it. And… Klaus doesn’t love me anymore. Neither you. I don’t have any super power, I’m just cursed to fall in love with people who hurt me instead. My father, Damon, you… Klaus… I loved all of you and what did I get in return ? Just pain and nothing else.”

“Oh… poor Stefan ! Should I be sorry for the man whose fell in love with the one who destroyed my family ?”.

“You’re not a victim, Katherine. You and Klaus are more similar then you think. I can assure you. And again… I won’t be your partner in crime. I’m going to tell Klaus what you have done”. threatened Stefan.

“I don’t think so. You know… I knew that you would never help me, so… I found another partner in crime. Your werewolf friend Tyler”.

Stefan frowned, then asked “Why does Tyler want to help you ? He sides with Klaus, he would have never chose to betray him”.

“Well… he didn’t. I told him to follow you today, because we were plotting together against Klaus. I told him that we had been being in contact since you left Mystic Falls and that you had helped me to find Mikael.”.

“What ? Why did you do this to me ?”

“First, because I’m tired of living in fear, of hiding, escaping because of that damn hybrid. Second, he stole my man from me and third… well, you know I’m a bitch. Ruining other’s life is something I’m excellent at it.”

“You made me look guilty. Klaus’s going to kill me !” exclaimed Stefan pushed Katherine against a tree and grabbing her throat.

Now Stefan was truly scared. You could betray Klaus once and hope tu survive if you’re lucky enough, but if you dared to betray him twice… well… It meant you truly had a death wish which Klaus would be very happy to make it come true. Stefan had betrayed Klaus once and even if he didn’t betray him twice, the doubt in Klaus’ mind would be enough to damn Stefan to death.  
Klaus wouldn’t forgive him this time, he would want revenge, at least. And Stefan ? Stefan would have his heart broken over again. Klaus would hurt him, with words, actions and tortures, more than he’d ever done before and Stefan wouldn’t be able to escape.  
Maybe Klaus would have come back to Mystic Falls and killed all his friends, included Damon, only to hurt him and all the sacrifices and the suffer of that year had been vane.  
Stefan couldn’t let that happen, he had to do something, at least he had to try. No one deserved more pain because of Klaus. No one.  
Katherine had done a mistake and now Stefan had to find solution to resolve it, before it was too late.

“It’s not my problem. You should have thought about this earlier. Now it’s too late. Mikael will arrive here in two days, with his lethal dagger and he’s finally going to kill Klaus.” said Katherine pushing Stefan away.

“You think you’re so smart but you’re so fool” said Stefan getting up on his feet.

“Why ? I’m going to be free of Klaus forever and I’m going to get my revenge against you for having chose Klaus over me” said Katherine.

“No, you’re wrong. You know, living with two Originals is useful because you gain a lot of informations. Did you know that we belong to Klaus’ bloodline ? Because of this, if he gets killed... we will die with him. You too”.

Katherine stopped to smirk and she looked really scared for the first time. She wasn’t sure it that whole story was a sort of a bluff making up by Stefan to device her, but she wasn’t even sure if he was telling her the truth.

“I don’t believe you. You’re making this story up to fool me.”

“Well… let Klaus die and we will find out. I’m not scared. If Tyler really told Klaus that I had ganged up on him with you, I’m going to die first, you… instead… will follow Klaus in hell.”

After saying that, Stefan turned away, even if he was scared to come back home. He didn’t want die, or front Klaus’ anger but he had to. He had to try to convince Klaus of his innocence even if he doubted he would have believed him. He only made few steps when Katherine pushed him against a tree and kissed him deeply.  
Then she punched him.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing… You’ve always been bad at lying. Anyway… if you’re right… I guess I have to change my plan.” said Katherine moving her hair behind her shoulders. “Well… you’ll always be welcome if you eventually decide to come back in Katherine’s team”

Then Katherine disappeared, leaving Stefan all alone in the woods.  
Stefan had never hated a person like he was hating Katherine in that moment. She had put a sentence to death over Stefan’s head, because Klaus was going to kill him. He wouldn’t spare his life this time, not matter how Klaus liked hurting him.  
This time would be the end for him.  
While he was walking back home, another person attacked him, penetrating his stomach with a stake.  
Stefan tried to defend himself, but the other was too strong for him. It was Tyler.

“You know… I wanted kill you since I found out about you and Klaus but I didn’t. Klaus would have killed me too If I had hurt you. But now… now that I have the proofs that you and Katherine are ganging up on Klaus, he’s going to kill you but first I want to make you suffer”

Tyler penetrated the stake deeper inside Stefan’s body. Stefan gritted his teeth for the pain but he didn’t want scream.  
Tyler pulled out the stake from Stefan’s body, then he attacked him again but Stefan avoided the stake and grabbed Tyler’s wrist, then he punched him on face.  
Tyler didn’t expect Stefan to attack him, so he didn’t defend himself, but he recovered quickly and he grabbed Stefan’s wrist and then bitted him.  
This time Stefan screamed for pain but he noticed that Tyler had let his grip on the stake.  
Stefan grabbed the stake and used it to hit Tyler at his stomach. Tyler screamed for pain, but Stefan pushed the steak deeper inside his body and he used all his strength to snap the other’s neck.  
Tyler fell on the ground and Stefan ran away from him, before he resumed the senses.  
Stefan knew that if he had though to escape before now it would have been impossible. Tyler bitted him and the only cure for him was Klaus’s blood, and although coming back to Klaus in that moment wasn’t the best thing to stay alive Stefan hadn’t other choices.  
His heart was beating strong and fast, he was scared, but not of Klaus’s fury, but of loosing him forever.  
‘It’s not the the time to think about my problem with Klaus… If Klaus killed me… No one would protect Elena’.  
Elena was his main priority, she had to be. Among all the people who had suffer because of Klaus, Elena was the person who had suffered the most.  
Klaus killed Jenna, he tried to kill Elena too, he took her boyfriend away from her, he threatened to kill all her friends, Klaus imprisoned her, he used her, abused her, he treated her as a blood-bag, he took away everything from her. She didn’t deserve more pain.  
When he was still far away from home, he sent a message to Elena, telling her everything about Katherine and her plan. He said her to prepare to escape.  
Stefan knew Alaric had trained her to defend herself from vampires and even if she couldn’t have any chance against Klaus, she could have had a possibility.  
While Klaus was too busy to punish him, she could try to escape and go away. Klaus didn’t knew, but Stefan had a plan. He always did.

…

_Stefan had screwed up everything, he knew it. He couldn’t do anything anymore for saving Elena from Klaus. He had just run away from Rebekah and he was sure that Klaus had already found Elena. He had to find a solution, maybe Bonnie would have helped him… she would have done anything to help Elena._  
_He still had his cell, he could call her to ask for help. Bonnie didn’t like working with vampires, but she trusted him, she knew they were on the same side._

_“Hi Bonnie… I need your help…”_

_“Stefan ? Where are you ? Elena had been looking for you since…”_

_“I know… I know… but not we don’t have much time. You have to help me. I need you to put a protection spell on Elena. Now !! A very powerful one. Klaus had found out she is alive I’m sure he’s already found her.”_

_“If he has already found her we had to find a way to fight him…”_

_“Bonnie, I trust you with my life, but we both know what happened last time we fought against Klaus. You have to do the spell, now. Before it’s too late. And… put a protection spell on you too. I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling about this situation”._

_“Okay. I’m going to do the spell. Please call me if you find out something new”._

_“Okay”._

_Stefan turned off the called and put the cell on his task. Now he didn’t have more time, he had to find Elena, he needed to know she was okay and still alive. He knew Klaus, he probably was keeping her alive to understand what had gone wrong with the hybrids, how could have be that she was alive and also he wanted Stefan to suffer, but he didn’t care. Elena was worthy more pain, she deserved to be happy and free and he failed her… again. He let Klaus finding out the truth and now Elena and her friends were in danger again._  
_So Stefan ran, ran faster than ever, truly hoping that Bonnie’s spell would succeed. In this case, if Klaus had caught Elena, she would have had a possibility to escape. She would have pretended her death again and run away from the hybrid. It was another stab at Klaus’s back but he didn’t care. Elena deserved to live and Klaus had to let her go._

  
_…_

Stefan wrote on the message that she had to find a way to simulate her death, so the Klaus and the hybrids would have let her go. He wrote her not to be afraid, that he and Bonnie had found away to keep her safe, so when she came back alive she would run away from Klaus forever.  
Elena asked why, sending him another message, but Stefan only wrote her to trust him and that he loved her.  
‘Thank you for everything you had done to me”.  
That was the last message Stefan sent to her.  
Stefan thought that maybe, if Klaus, Rebekah and the other hybrids had though Elena death, they would have abandoned her body somewhere. The protection spell would have protected Elena so, when she regained her senses she would run away from there. Maybe she could come back to Mystic Falls, try to make the other remember about her and gain some help.  
It didn’t matter if he died… Stefan didn’t care, not in that moment at least.  
He came back home and, how he had expected, some hybrids were outside, in the garden, and they were waiting him to capture him.  
It seemed that Tyler had already advertised them of his “betray”.  
A young hybrid girl and another man caught him and pushed him inside, and then in the living room where Klaus was waiting him, sitting on the couch with Rebekah at his side.

“Well, well… This has become a really bad habit. The last time I was sitting somewhere waiting for your arrival I had just found out the truth about the doppelgänger… now I’m sitting on this couch waiting for you because Tyler sent me a warning about you and Katherina ganging up on me…” Klaus got up and came closer to Stefan, then he punched him on his face and continued “What kind of pathetic excuse do you have this time ?”.

“No one… I haven’t done anything wrong against to you. You have to believe me”.

“Do I ?” said Klaus with an ironic smile “The last time I trusted you, you stabbed me in the back. I will never trust you again, Stefan. Especially now. I don’t know how I can be so stupid not to understand that you were helping Katerina to wake up my father so he could kill me !!!”

Klaus hit him again and Stefan almost screamed for the pain but he stopped himself. He didn’t want them to know he was suffering, he also tried to hide the wound Tyler had inferted to him, but Klaus noticed it perfectly and he grabbed his wrist with so much strength that Stefan though he could brake it.

“Oh… so this is why you came back. You hoped to receive the cure. You had the arrogance and the pettiness to ask me for help… after what you have done… “ Klaus brake his wrist and then asked “How did you dare ? How do you dare ask me anything after having chosen Katerina over me ? Eh ? ANSWER ME !!”.

Stefan closed his eyes, trying to avoid Klaus’s gaze, but the hybrid grabbed his throat and obliged him to look him in the eyes.  
Looking Klaus in the eyes broke Stefan’s heart, and even if he was innocent, he felt really ashamed and guilty.  
He wanted to scream that he was innocent, that he hadn’t done anything wrong, that he cared about him but Klaus’s eyes were so dark for anger, hatred, disappointment and pain that Stefan understood that there wasn’t anything he could do to fix everything.

“I’m sorry”.

Stefan meant it. He was truly sorry for Klaus, sorry because his father was going to hunt him down, sorry because he was so blind and proud to recognize friends from enemies, sorry because Stefan couldn’t do anything form him anymore, sorry for himself, because he was going to die without having a chance to save his friends. He was sorry because he had lost the love of his life forever.  
‘I have to keep fight… Elena could… she still needs me…’

“It’s too late to be sorry. I don’t care… if you’re death or alive… I don’t care anymore…”

Klaus bitted his wrist and then obliged Stefan to drink his blood. Stefan drank it, and then the wound healed.

“You know… the doppelgänger’s death. She tried to escape and my hybrids accidentally killed her. Now… You should ask yourself why I didn’t kill my hybrids… well…”

“Because people can see your handwork on them. They represent your glory… not matter how much mistakes they do, they’re not expendable. Other are” interrupted Stefan.

Klaus laughed then said “Your arrogance’s already come back. Well you’re wrong. I kept her somewhere, I won’t tell you where, so when she come back alive, because I know she will, I’m going to torture her in front of you. I read the message you sent to her, I read between the lines and I understood that you had done something to protect her.”

“If it had been true… I would have helped her to escape a long time ago.”

“Well you have to be sure that Katerina succeeded to find and wake up my father. I don’t believe in coincidences. Katerina appearance… your little trip in the woods… Mikael's return… Elena’s stupid attempt to escape… Do the math little boy, I did.”

“No you didn’t. If you stop for just one second to be arrogant and angry with me you would understand…”

“I don’t want understand anything !! YOU chose your side a long time ago… stupid me that I haven’t kill you when I left Mystic Falls. Now… that’s what is going to happen. You will be locked up in the basement, and when I find a way to get free of Mikael, you and me are going to go to Mystic Falls when you, love, will kill your brother and your friends in front of Elena.”

Stefan felt anger taking over him and he said “You can’t do this to me. I told you I hadn’t helped Katherine. I had been good since I left Mystic Falls. You took everything away from me and I haven’t complain…”

“You haven’t complained to protect Elena not because you cared for my friendship !!”

“You humiliated me, you beaten me, you offended me, you treated me like a slave and I’ve never thought, not even for a moment, to escape or to get revenge…”

“Because You knew you had to wait for Katerina’s arrival. You two had planned everything together. You chose her… OVER ME !!”

“So that’s he problem ? Your possessive behavior ? Not even in these situations can you stop yourself from hurting people who truly care about you and who try to help you ?”

“You ? Help me ? Don’t make me laugh, love. You should stop yourself at this point. Or… I swear… we’re going to leave for Mystic Falls right here right now to kill Damon. Don’t challenge me, not when I’m so close to rip you entirely apart. Starting with your mind… ending with your body…”

“You have already destroyed me… you took everything away from me… you made me falling in love with you and then you abandoned me… while I’ve never done anything to hurt you.”

“You chose the doppelgänger over me”

“We both know that I have done the right thing… and when you will be aware of this… you’re going to apologize”

Stefan said that looking Klaus in his eyes, without any fear, with a strange bravado he didn’t know to have, at least not in this situations, not with Klaus ready to rip his heart out of his chest. Maybe was due to the fact he was heartbroken and he didn’t care to hurt Klaus, or irritate him.  
He didn’t care about the consequences anymore, he could handle anything Klaus could do to him, not because he had lost hope, or because he was so broken not to feel anything anymore, but because he knew he was right, he knew he was stronger than Klaus because he wasn’t afraid of the truth. Klaus was a coward, now he knew it. Klaus was so afraid to be hurt, so paranoid that he was incapable to see and accept the truth.

“If you so sure about this… take him away !!”

Klaus didn’t want listen any other words nor see Stefan, or he would have killed him. When Tyler told him about Stefan and Katherine he almost didn’t believe it was truth. He hoped it wasn’t. It broke his heart. Klaus destroyed his room, throwing away his things against the walls, trying to stop himself from kill everyone around him.  
How could Stefan do this to him ? Didn’t that little stupid kid understand not to stand against to him ? Didn’t Stefan understand that he couldn’t be defeated ? Did Stefan really hate him so much at the point to plot against him ? Didn’t Stefan have any appreciation for him ?  
That little naive vampire dared to lie to him and Klaus kept him alive anyway, he also kept alive his dear old brother instead of ripping him apart and nevertheless Stefan helped Katherine to kill him. Why ?  
Did he truly lose Stefan forever ?  
Maybe… if he had tried to conquer Stefan instead of hurt him over and over again… he would have chosen his side instead of Katherine’s ones.  
Maybe… if Klaus had give up his pride and paranoia, Stefan would have forgiven him for taking his life away from him… maybe they would have been friends again but…  
No… Stefan was the one who screwed up everything choosing Elena over him, he failed him, it was all Stefan’s fault.  
Klaus would never let Stefan fool him. He would never open up his heart to anyone, he would never love again.  
He would hate Stefan forever.  
Two hybrids grabbed Stefan and took him in the basement where they locked him up inside.  
Stefan didn’t even try to escape, he knew he would have been useless. He couldn’t escape, it was too late. He could only hope Katherine to be smart enough to consider his words and change her plans. His words may had sounded desperate but Stefan knew they were true.

…

_FIVE MONTHS AGO…_

_Stefan was lying on Klaus’s bed. He was naked and his skin was still healing for Klaus’s bites but Stefan hadn’t felt pian. Maybe people were right when they said he was a masochist. Stefan felt pleasure in pain, he’d always had._  
_He enjoyed when Katherine bitted him, or when she enjoyed playing to love him when clearly she didn’t, or if she had ever done, he wouldn’t have believed her anyway. She had fooled him and broken his heart anyway. He didn’t trust her anymore._  
_In a twist way he enjoyed the pain when Klaus’s werewolf venom entered inside his veins. It was just like another part of Klaus was inside him and for him it was beautiful._

_“Does it still hurt ? Do you need more blood ?” asked Klaus touching Stefan’s back with his fingers._

_“No… It’s healing and I don’t mind some pain. I can handle it, I quite enjoy it, actually” answered Stefan turning to Klaus._

_“You’re such a masochist sometimes. I wonder if you didn’t used to be a self-defeating when you were a human” said Klaus with a small laugh._

_“Oh God no… I was saner when I was human.”._

_“I don’t agree. You fell in love with Katerina when you were human”._

_“Thats doesn’t make me an insane human. Only a human with bad tastes.”_

_“Your tastes got better after your transformation. I mean… I’m better than Katerina, am I not ?”_

_“As a lover ? You are. As a friend ? Maybe.” joked Stefan, but Klaus didn’t seem to like the joke._

_“Do you want us to be more ?” asked Klaus touching Stefan’s face._

_Stefan hushed for a moment, didn’t know what to say even though he knew the right answer. Did he want them to be more ? Of course he did. Of course he wanted to be with the man Klaus loved, but he couldn't. Klaus kept to push him away, he was too blind and too proud. But he looked really sorry when he bitted him, so maybe he still felt something for him. Stefan couldn't have Klaus' love, but he could have that little hope._

  
_“You know I do. You don’t let us being more” answered Stefan with clear sadness in his voice._

_“We can’t be more. I don’t trust you anymore. We could be more, but you wasted your occasion”._

_“I didn’t waste anything. You abandoned me first. You left me behind and obliged me to forget about you.”_

_“I had to left you for your own good, this is what you don’t want understand”_

_“Why hadn’t you looked for me all that years ? Why had you waited so much ? I bet we met again not because you were looking for me. No. That was a coincidence. You were looking for Elena when you found me”._

_“I found you both and You can’t understand how much pain I felt when I found my ex lover turned into the shadow of the magnificent Ripper he used to be. I gave you a purpose, you should be more grateful”._

_“I would be grateful if you accept me for who I am or for who I want to be.”_

_“I did. You drink animal blood after all.”_

_“Why hadn’t you looked for me in all these years ?” asked Stefan again, without fearing the answer. He just wanted to know the truth._

_“I knew I would found you anyway. We are linked, in all ways”_

_“What do you mean ?”_

_“You know… You belong to my bloodline. A vampire can’t have descendants but he can create new vampires and them… in some ways… formed his bloodline and since that moment they are linked forever. In fact If I die, you and the other will die with me. And before you ask, no, there’s no way to broke this bound” said Klaus with a smirk._

_“How can you be so sure about this ?” asked Stefan not completely convinced._

_“Because someone had killed my brother Finn and few hours later all the vampires who belonged to his bloodline were death. Since then, it was an incentive for my “descendants” to fear and obey me”_

_“Of course you don’t waste any opportunity to make new enemies” said Stefan trying to joke._

_“And you don’t waste opportunities to irritate me with your inappropriate tongue” said Klaus with a little grudge._

_“Make me shut up.” provoked Stefan._

_Klaus didn’t need to be told twice and then he kissed Stefan, while his arms was surrounding the other’s body. Klaus held Stefan tight, didn’t want to let him go, almost as he feared that the would disappear in front of his eyes._  
_Klaus may would never admit to anyone, but he had truly suffered when he made Stefan forget about him. At the beginnings he had tried to find Stefan, he looked everywhere but Stefan was nowhere to be found so Klaus just gave up. Continuing was too painful._  
_So Klaus tried to get over, tried to ignore the emptiness left inside his heart, tried to brake the curse._  
_And when he found Stefan in Mystic Fall he was so glad, but his happiness didn’t last. When he saw the kind of vampire Stefan had become, it broke his heart, and the worst part of anything was that Stefan seemed completely in love with Elena._  
_Klaus almost didn’t believed that his magnificent Ripper had turned into a spineless puppy, he wanted Stefan to be his Ripper again, to be his again, but Stefan didn’t remember him at all._  
_Didn’t Stefan really love him anymore ?_

_“Wow… It seems that You missed me a lot all these years” commented Stefan with a happy smile._

_“Less than you hope. I’ve been really busy in these years. But yes, I missed being dominate with you. You are one of the few things which I’ve always considered mine”._

_‘I’m not a property’, thought Stefan without saying anything. He didn’t want ruined the moment. He just wanted enjoy the moment they were sharing together. So Stefan kissed Klaus again and then there wasn’t any other space for words._

_“Take me… please… take” asked Stefan squeezing more to Klaus’ body._

_“With pleasure…”_

_‘I really missed you so much’ Klaus thought while he was making Stefan his again. He was still missing him. Stefan wasn't completely his, they weren't together and the relationship they used to have seemed more like a vague dream instead of truth. He missed being the only one for Stefan, he missed being the reason why Stefan smiled, he missed to be Stefan's world. He missed they to be one thing, one body, one soul. He didn't miss his Ripper, he just missed the man he would always love._

…

Stefan held back the tears in his eyes. He was a man, not a young kid anymore and Klaus wasn’t worthy his tears. He had to be stronger than ever, his plan to protect Elena had failed and he didn’t even know if she was okay.  
The hybrids in front of the basement were gone, but Stefan knew that they still were somewhere, ready to caught him if he tried to escape.  
‘Could things get worst ?”  
Maybe not.  
He spent two hours in the basement before someone came to visit him and it was the last person Stefan wanted to see. Rebekah Mikaelson, his ex girlfriend.

“Hello Stefan. You look sick, you know ? You should take more care of yourself” said Rebekah entering in his prison.

“Well, it’s difficult taking care of myself locked up in here. Why are you here anyway ? Are you here to enjoy the show ? Where’s Elena ?”

“Calm down. Your little friend woke up and I can swear you that Nik’s not going to kill her. He needs her to create new hybrids. Now she’s in her bedroom and she asked of you. I told her you’re locked up here. She insisted to see you but Klaus didn’t allow her to come closer to you. He still fears she’s part of your plan to kill him”

“And you ? Do you agree with him right ? Are you here to see me suffer right ?”

“Not exactly. Even if I’m still offended to death you had chosen my brother over me although he had more defects than me” said Rebekah closing the door of the basement.

“I though you were only jealous of Elena.”

“Actually I’ve never been jealous of her. It would have been a waste of time. I’ve always had one rival for your heart and it was Nik. I knew about you two since twenties”.

“How could you ? Klaus seemed so confident all the time, he was sure you didn’t know everything about us”

“You know, I’ve spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure. He killed all my boyfriends, he did it again and again, every time I found someone to care about. He just kept doing this until… finally I stopped falling in love. You were the first guy I fell in love with after a long time. I really wanted him to meet you. You were already a vampire so he couldn’t deny me to turn you, and you were emotionless so I though you were perfect. Maybe too much”.

  
…

_CHICAGO 1921…_

_Rebekah was really happy that night. The handsome guy who she danced with had a particular carisma and he was also so confident that he had already conquered her heart, even if she had no intension of making things easy for him. She knew it was dangerous falling in love so easily with that strange guy, even though it passed a long time since she had her heart broken because of her brother._  
_Nik… Nik was another important detail she didn’t count… would he accept Stefan ? Would he like him ? Would Nik let her being with Stefan forever ?_  
_She truly hoped he would. She loved Nik with all her heart, not matter how much time she hated him or plotted against him with his enemies, she would never stop to love Nik and his opinion was important to her._  
_Also Nik’s always shouts she had and uncanny ability to choose men, maybe if she introduced him Stefan, he would finally changed his mind._  
_It sounded quite absurd, but it was worthy a try._  
_She came back home and she found Nick painting in his studio._

_“Good night, Nik. How are you ?” asked Rebekah._

_“What were you doing ? You came back later then the other times. I went hunting alone, I was tired of waiting you.” said Klaus without taking off his eyes from his painting._

_“I… met someone I like and I spent the evening having fun with this guy”._

_“Please, tell me he’s not an useless human again who’s trying to seduce you only to become a vampire." said Klaus rolling his eyes “I’m tired of bringing together the pieces of your heart because of some pathetic heartbreaker”_

_“No human this time brother. He’s already a vampire, so I’m sure he’s not trying to seduce me to be like me” answered Rebekah with a glad smile._

_“And are you sure he’s worthy of an original vampire like you ?” asked Klaus looking at her._

_“He doesn’t know I’m an original. He understood that I’m older, much older than him but I guess he had already some suspects. Instead I can say he’s really young. I’m sure he had not even taken one hundred years yet.”_

_“So he just a simple baby vampire. I love them, and when I say “love” I mean that I love putting them at their place. They are so arrogant, confident and stupid during the first years. They thing they’re invincible, that no one in the world can hurt them anymore. So young and naive for the world”._

_“Well… He’s confident and arrogant but… he has something special. He’s hiding something from the world, a dark secret and I want to find it out it. He’s intriguing even if he has funny hair.”_

_“A fallen angel… I don’t want to meet him. I know you were going to ask me to, Bekah, but my answer is no. I don’t waste my time with the infants”._

_“Oh come on Nick. I’m sure you’re going to like him. Have you ever heard about the Ripper of Monterey ?”_

_“Of course I have. That magnificent vampire, he is known by mist vampires for slaughtering an entire village of immigrants. He’s also known to rip his victims in pieces when killing them and then trying to put them back together again. I don’t understand why he felt the necessity to put them back but I’m sure he is a wonderful creature. Why have you asked ?”._

_“Because Stefan is the famous Ripper of Monterey. He invited me to go hunting with him and he show me how he does. You’re right, he was magnificent” said Rebekah, sure that now Klaus would change his mind._

_Klaus almost laughed. Did his sister really believe that he was so naive to believe that a common mundane baby vampire was the incredible Ripper of Monterey ?_  
_It was impossible. Klaus himself had started to got notoriety in supernatural worlds after at least two centuries, and he didn’t have the resourcefulness and cruelty during the first time. Whoever Rebekah met that night was a ridiculous emulator who were trying to impress his sister after having understood how much easy her fell over her heals for a pretty face._

_“So did you meet a celebrity ? I’m impressed” said Klaus with a clear sarcasm in his voice, turning his attention on his painting again._

_“So… are you going to meet him ?” asked Rebekah ignoring her brother’s skepticism._

_“Of course not !” said Klaus “I’m sure he’s not the Ripper of Monterey, he is too young and I’ve just said that I don’t waste my time with baby vampires. I’m sorry sister”_

_It was clear that Klaus wasn’t sorry at all and he also looked quite irritating. Maybe he was a bit angry that another vampire, younger than him, had a certain fame between other vampires._  
_Rebekah found that possibility hilarious. Klaus enjoyed showing himself so wise, old and dangerous in front of the other vampires, but he could also holding a grudge like the “infants” he seemed to despise so much._

_“Maybe it’s better in this way. I mean… you’ve always had bad relationships with my boyfriends. Maybe if you don’t know him at all, you won’t kill him at the end.” said Rebekah with a fake smile._

_“Or I kill him anyway when he will dare to brake your heart” said Klaus with a smirk._

_“Why ? I’m beautiful and I’m an Original. There’s no one he could choose over me. But you can kill him if and when I will be tired of him”._

_“Then, I will meet him that day, there’s no need to introduce us”._

_“I’m not going to convince you in anyway, am I ?” asked Rebekah almost disappointed._

_“Exactly” said Klaus._

_“Okay. But… Can you at least accompany me at Gloria’s tomorrow ? I don’t want you to socialize with anyone. I just want you to come with me. Can you at least do this for me ?” asked Rebekah with her “puppy” face._

_Klaus snorted but he knew that if he hadn’t acquiesced, Rebekah wouldn't have left him in peace. So he nodded, without looking at her and then he heard her going away._  
_Klaus had no intensions of meeting Rebekah’s new love interest. He hoped his sister didn’t understand the truth, but he feared that this new vampire vampire could take her away from him. Klaus had a possessive behavior towards the people he cared, this was what made him kill all the other Rebekah’s boyfriend. He didn’t care of hurting her, his fear of loosing her was stronger than his fear of hurting her._  
_What if this baby vampire was the one who stole her from him forever ?_  
_What would he do ? He couldn’t live without his little sister._  
_No, He was no going to meet him, no way. He would look the baby vampire in the eyes only when he decided to kill him. End of the matter._  
_Rebekah, on the other hand, was glad, not satisfied, but glad. Maybe Nik hadn’t accept to meet Stefan but she was sure it was going to happen anyway. Nik was jealous and protective of her and he wouldn’t stand too much at the sight of her and Stefan kissing each other without having the need to intrude himself._  
_She was sure Stefan was the right one. Nik would have liked him, and She would have stayed with him forever. No one was better than her, no one could take Stefan away from her. She was sure about this, but she was wrong._

…

“Nik is my favorite brother. I wanted be just like him. I’ve seen him in love once but it didn’t end well. He turned off his humanity since then, he promised not to fall in love with someone ever again. But he failed… he met you at the end”.

“Klaus’s never loved me” said Stefan with broken voice.

“You’re wrong. As I said, I saw you two together, you were kissing each other and both of you seemed happy. But what surprised me most wasn’t the fact that I saw two men kissing each other, but the way you were looking at each other. You were looking at my brother as he was the most beautiful creature in the world and Nik… he has never looked someone like he looked at you.”

“Like what ?”

“Like you were the most precious thing in the world. Like you were the only one who still kept him alive. The only reason he had to continue to live. In the family, I’m the girl who loves too easily, but I’ve never loved anyone as he loves you but I hope that one day I will meet the right person for me.”

“I’m sorry for not being sincere with you. I didn’t want hurt you, neither Klaus, this is because we decided to keep our relationship secret.”

“Well You can’t hide something from me, Stefan. I can always tell who you lie, this is because I’m here. Because, unlike Nik, I’m not holding a grudge to you for having chosen the doppelgänger over me and so I can judge things clearer.”

“Are you saying you believe me ?” asked Stefan with hope.

“I am. I don’t believe you had cooperated with Katerina for killing my brother. After all this time you should know better than trying to betray Nick. You know what is capable of if you plot against him, and also I don’t trust Tyler”.

“Why ? He’s completely devoted to Klaus”

“Because of sire bound. He believes to love my brother but his feelings are not sincere. Also, he’s envious of you and Nik. So, this is a small summary of how I think things went… Katherine is a living shadow, she’s good at observing people without being noticed, so she had been observing us for some months, she understood Tyler’s feelings toward you and Klaus so she had found a perfect partner in crime for her plan. She knew where to find Mikael and how to wake him up. But she had to resolve another problem first, you”.

“Since when am I a problem for Katherine ? She’s a self centered bitch who would sacrifice anyone for get what she wants”.

“Anyone but you. She still loves you and she knew that you love Klaus. She also knew that if Klaus had been in danger you would have got in the way to help him and that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. So… she found a way to meet you… right ?”

“Yes. She was waiting for me in the woods. Actually she had already tried to convince me to help her to kill Klaus, when we were in Chicago but I said no to her. Anyway, when I refused to help her this time… She told me she had contacted Tyler to tell him I was ganging up on Klaus with her. She set me up, I swear”.

Rebekah remained silence for few minutes, observing carefully Stefan and she understood he was telling her the truth.

“I believe you, and I’m going to help you. But you have to tell me any kind of information you have about Katherine’s plan”

“Not so many. She told me she found Klaus with the help of a witch, but she didn’t tell her name, but I know that Mikael’s going to bere in two days”

“Two days ? Are you sure ?”.

“Yes. Katherine said that she fed him with her blood and that he’s going to be here in two days. But… I have the sensation she’s going to change her plans”.

“Why ?”

“I told her that if Klaus dies, she’s going to die too because she belonged to his bloodline. She didn’t seem to believe in my words, but I saw the doubts growing inside her eyes.”

“Maybe she’s trying to find a way to brake the bloodline.”

“I’ve already told her that there isn’t any way”.

“Yes, and Klaus has already told her that there’s no way to kill him and still she found our father.” said Rebekah with sarcasm “That slut… if she hurts my brother I’m going to rip her apart”

“Katherine is not our principal problem right now. Mikael is. We have to convince Klaus to stay home. Mikael won’t be capable of enter if he’s not allowed but…”

“But he’s strong enough to compel all his hybrids. But this hasn’t to be a negative aspect. My father is an arrogant man, if he believes to be in control he would put his guard down and we will make our move.” said Rebekah.

“So… do you have a plan ?”

“I will meet with my father. I will tell him that I’m tired of being hurt by Nik. So, I will pretend to have changed my side. He’s going to trust me. So… when he will be here, he will give me the dagger because I can enter. And then…”

“Then what ?”

“Then I give the dagger to Nik and he will use it to kill our father forever. It’s a good plan after all”

“Yes. But you forgot Katherine”

“No, I didn’t. I’m going to get you free, in someway. So you’re going to take care of Katherine” said Rebekah.

“Okay. I will do everything it takes to protect Klaus, I love him”

Rebekah looked at him and then she smiled him with kindness “I know. I hope you and Nik will make up after all this story”

…  
  
So, Rebekah kept her words. She was strong enough to compel the two hybrid guards in front of the basement’s door to let them go and to forget everything about them.  
Of course Klaus killed them for their incompetence and then he ordered to all the other hybrids to look in every single centimeters of New Orlean to find Stefan and to take him alive back to him.  
Stefan was nowhere to be found. Rebekah was hiding the younger vampire thanks to the help of some witches.  
Witches usually didn’t like vampires and they didn’t want have nothing to do with them, but Stefan was a kind young man, polite so he convinced witches to host him and hide him very easily.  
As Katherine had warned, Mikael arrived two days after. When he arrived in New Orleans, Rebekah convinced Klaus to stay home. She told him that Stefan was planning to leave the town with Elena and that he would take advantage of Mikael’s arrival to do it.  
So, Klaus decided to stay home with Elena, while Rebekah and the hybrids were looking for Stefan and Mikael.  
About Katherine Pierce there was not track.

“She’s already here. I’m sure of this, she’s hiding somewhere.” told Stefan to Rebekah when she came to visit him.

“Probably. I’m sure she will show up this evening. When Mikael will try to kill Nik”.

“How is he ?”

Damn it. Even when Klaus made him the most wanted man in New Orleans, even if he had ordered his hybrids to find him "At cost of burning down the entire New Orleans", that was Bekah told him Klaus had said, Stefan still cared for him. The truth was that Stefan was mow and scared to death for Klaus. Klaus’s never explained him his relationship with his father in details, but Stefan wasn’t an idiot. He used to have a bad relationship with his father too, probably it wasn’t tragic as Klaus’s ones, but he cold recognize when a son feared his father.  
Maybe Mikael hadn’t been an horrible father with Rebekah, Elijah or his other children, but he surely had been cruel with Klaus. He knew how to rip him apart and Stefan, only for this, hated him with all himself.

“He’s scared. Our father’s always had the power to scare him to death. But he knows he can’t escape at this point, so he stays and fights. But he doesn’t show anything. He spends all the time in his studio, painting or destroying his thing, giving order to his hybrids to look for you. Ignoring me and my worries for him.”

“So he’s pretending not to be afraid of Mikel neither to be worry about the entire situation so he can maintain his status of brave and fearless Alpha man.Typical. He’s so predictable sometimes”

“He misses you too.”

“Yeah, in his collection of ex lovers to kill. I guess there’s a blank space for my name” joked Stefan.

“I’m not lying Stefan. He truly misses you. He tries to hide his love for you under his mask of anger, hate and desire for revenge but I know him. When Tyler told him about you and Katherine his heart broke down and his pain prevents him from seeing reality but when all this story will end… well… I hope you will forgive each other”

Stefan wanted to say that he wasn’t sure if he could forgive Klaus at his point. The hybrid really hurt him last time so he changed subject.

“ And… Elena ? How is she ?”

“I told her everything, trying to be careful not to be heard by Nik. He has the insane tendency of being really paranoid during this moments so it’s better that he doesn’t know I’m helping you”.

“Yeah, by the way. Why are you helping me ?” Why are you still take care of Klaus after everything he’s done to you ?”

“For the same reason you still try to protect you brother after all the terrible pain he had inflicted to you. Because he’s my brother. We protect each other, like we always had. Because… even when I hate him I still love him. I can’t stop myself from loving him and you better than anyone should understand me.”

Stefan didn’t answer again, but both of them knew the truth. Stefan and Rebekah were more similar then they were willing to admit. Both of them have the capacity of caring deeply who people who show them affection and once they cared for someone it was hard not to. Not matter how other hurt them, they just couldn’t stop to care anymore.  
Bothe of them fell in love easily with people who didn’t deserve their love, who had fun of their feelings, who always blamed them for every single mistake, every single time.  
Maybe that was the main reason why Stefan still felt a deep affection for Rebekah, because everything he looked at her it seemed to look himself.

“Also… I’m helping you because you took my brother back to me. When he’s with you he seemed come back the lovely kind guy he used to be when we were humans. Losing you and now helping you is the only way to have my brother back and I’m not going to let my father ruin him over again”.

“Thank you. Any news about Katherine ?”

“Nope. She’s nowhere to be found. But She will appear tonight. By the way, I’m going to meet with my father. I want to talk to him, I need to” said Rebekah.

“Okay. See you later” said Stefan accompanying her to the door.

“See you later, Stefan” said Rebekah before disappearing.

Both of them didn’t notice that someone behind a tree was observing him. Well, it wasn’t a great deal. Katherine was going to talk to Stefan anyway.  
She had talked to Mikael, when they arrived in New Orleans and asked him about the link between her and Klaus, and Michael confirmed her suspects. He told her and when he kill Klaus, all his bloodline will follow him in hell. Katherine didn’t ask other questions, she didn’t want Mikael to suspect she had just changed her side. Her hatred for Klaus was strong but her instinct of self preservation was stronger.  
Normally she would have tried to find a way to brake the link but he had not much time anymore. Mikael was going to kill Klaus that evening, so even if she had tried to threat a with for help, finding a concert solution could have required too much time.  
She was so frustrating in that moment.  
She knocked up to Stefan’s door and when the door opened, Stefan was going to slam it in her face but Katherine stopped him.  
She couldn’t enter in, she knew but she had to talk to him anyway. It was too important.

“Look, I know I screwed up everything again but I’m here with good intentions though it may be hard to believe”

“In fact. I don’t trust you Katherine. Last time we met, you made me the most wanted man of New Orleans. Klaus almost killed me, so, thanks for your visit even if I had preferred not to see you again” said Stefan trying to close the door again.

“Hey ! Please…” said Katherine opening the door again “We don’t have time to wast. Look, I can’t say I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Klaus persecuted me for so long, I’m glad to have broken his heart using you. the great to love of his pathetic life. But I’m sorry for you. I was angry, offended and I couldn’t get over the fact you had chosen Klaus over me. Why him ?”

“I don’t know. It’s just happened !” answered Stefan almost on defensive.

“He’s a monster and I’m a monster too. I loved you and I hurt you, he did the same. We had abandoned you both and pretended we didn’t care about you at all, and also we hadn’t look for you since our encounter in Mystic Falls.So, what’s the difference ? What does he have that I don’t ?”

“I don’t know, Katherine. What I felt for you was real, intensive, you had been my first important love. But Klaus… Klaus marked me forever. There’s something in him that I can’t give up. He loved me when no one else would have done, when I was a Ripper and even if he has tried to change me at the first, at the end he accepted me for who I’m. A little masochist with problems to control his bloodlust, who wants spend his life drinking animal blood. And… you’re right, he hurt me, so much but when he’s at my side I feel safe and he had chosen me since the started”.

“What do you mean ?”

“I mean that I had never had to be in competition for anyone to be with him. He had chosen me since the twenties. He could have had any other vampire, someone stronger than me, powerful than me, more beautiful than me, less complicated even, someone who was more like him and less like… me. But he chose me, he’s always had. Even when he found me in Mystic Falls he chose me over Damon without any hesitations. He pretended it was because he wanted his old friend back but it wasn’t true. His old friend didn’t exist anymore. I fed on animals when he found me, I was weaker than Damon btu he chose me anyway”.

“He chose you because you was the one who asked for his help. Damon would have never accepted to leave the town with him !”

“You can’t know what Damon would do to survive. He’s like the proverbial cat, he always lands on his feet. Just like you. But I supposed you understand now the biggest difference between you and Klaus”.

“Yes. He’s never put you and Damon against each other to conquer him. You’ve alway been the only one for him. In this case, I had to admit he’d been wiser than me. He didn’t waste time, even if now he has having sex with Tyler only to make you jealous of him”

“He will stop. He and Tyler have been having sex increasingly less. He’s going to come back to me, for now I don’t mind waiting him. He had been waiting for me to come back too. I know he still think I love Elena.”

“By the way, where’s she ?”

“She’s prisoner of Klaus and his hybrids. Why ? What are you planning to do ?”

“Well, she’s one of the principal reason I’m here. Before coming here and talking with Michael about my destiny in case of Klaus dies, I revealed him Klaus’s greatest weakness. Elena. I told him Klaus needs her to create hybrids.”

“I should kill you right here right now to have put Elena in danger too.”

“Go ahead but you’re going to loose the rest of my plan. I know Rebekah is with Michael in this moment and I know Mikael’s going to ask Rebekah to kidnap Elena for him and I know you want Elena to go away from New Orleans and to be free somewhere else, so…”

“So ?”

“I proposed to Tyler to use Elena as bait for you. Klaus wants you so Tyler wants you for him, even if he prefers you dead. By the way, he’s my diabolical partner in crime, so in two hours he’s going to bring Elena out of the house, with two other hybrids. I’m going to help you to save Elena, then I will take her place. Michael and Rebekah’re going to take me, but Mikael won’t know that I’m Elena”

“It would be an amazing plan, if I had been sure to can trust of you”.

“You can trust me not wanting to follow Klaus in hell”.

Stefan nodded, trying to decide whether he could trust her or not. He looked her in the eyes and he sighed. It was a complicated situation and he knew that he needed all the help, not only for him, or Klaus, but also for Elena.  
Klaus would never let her to be free and Stefan’s had any other chance to help her to escape from New Orleans before. Now Katherine was offering him onion a silver plat and he would have been a fool to resume it.  
So he accepted to help her.  
Katherine sent a message to Tyler, telling him that Stefan was coming for Elena, to set her free. She told him to bring Elena out of house for few hours, so Stefan would come for her. They had to take Elena with them or Stefan wouldn’t have come.  
While Katherine was sending message with Tyler, Stefan sent a message to Rebekah telling her about his encounter with Katherine and her plans.  
Rebekah wrote to him that she agreed with plan and that she’s going to kidnap “Elena” with Mikeal.  
Then Stefan procured some vervain to use against hybrids. He put it inside a bag with some stake and then he was ready to save Elena.  
So two hours later, Katherine gave an appointment to Tyler in the cemetery. Stefan couldn’t imagine why they had chosen the cemetery but he didn’t complain.  
They went there, Stefan remained hid behind a tree, while Katherine was coming closer to Tyler. He could heard him talking.

“Are you sure he’s going to show up?” asked Tyler to Katherine, while he was grabbing Elena by her arm.

“Of course. Maybe he’s already here. He’s observing us, trying to study a way to fool us and scape with his little slut” said Katherine pinching Elena’s cheek.

“He thinks he’s smarter than me, right ? He’s not. I’ve Elena, I’ve Klaus, I’m his favorite and Stefan’s going to die” said Tyler with a cruel smile.

“Listen… I don’t care about your little fight to get Klaus’s heart, especially because I doubt Klaus has any heart.”

Stefan was about to come out, when someone put an arm around his neck and put an hand on his mouth to make him shut up.

“Miss me… love ?” asked Klaus “Are you enjoying the show ?”

“You shouldn’t be here” said Stefan trying to get free.

“Neither you, but still we’re both here so I can directly bury your body inside of one of those tombs” said Klaus held Stefan tighter.

“Then kill me !! Come on” provoked Stefan “Do it, you coward !”

Klaus laughed but then he let Stefan go “I won’t. I followed Tyler and I found out everything about him and Katherine and their plan. The little idiot didn’t understand Katherine true intension of killing me then and now he didn’t understand that she was trying to kidnap Elena for you. Exactly ?” asked Klaus grabbing Stefan by his arm and obliging him looking him in the eyes.

“You got it finally. What about your apologies ?” asked Stefan with a clear resentment in his voice.

Klaus looked really sorry for a second but then his arrogance and indifference appeared, then he said “What was your plan ?”

“Using Elena as bait and defeating your hybrids. Mikael’s going her to Elena. When she will be free, Katherine take her place. So when this evening Mikael come to you, he will try to threat you with Elena but she…!

“She will be Katherine instead and he won’t have any advantage on me. Nice plan”.

“It was until a moment ago. Now, if you don’t mind…” said Stefan getting free of Klaus “… I have a baby hybrid dick to put in his place”.

“Oh my, love. I know you hate my possessiveness but your jealousy is so sexy”.

Then Klaus kissed him, penetreting his mouth with his tongue. Stefan answered to the kiss, holding tight Klaus with his arms. Klaus held me tight too, not wanting let him go.  
The truth was that Klaus missed his little ripper too much. He missed kissing him, holding him, touching him everywhere, making him his. He missed his scent, touching his funny hair.  
He needed of that little fool. He was dependent on him.  
It didn’t matter how much Stefan could make him get angry, Klaus loved him too much not to forgive him anyway. In that two days when Stefan was nowhere to be found, when Klaus couldn’t have the certain he was safe and sound, Klaus had been barely able to breath. Stefan was his oxygen.  
Stefan interrupted the kiss at the end. He had to go, he had a plan to accomplish and even if he wanted stay in Klaus’ arms forever, there still were two many things to fix between them.

“Why don’t you kill me ?” asked Stefan

Klaus kissed him again then he said “Because I’m done of screwing up everything between us.”

“I have to go” said Stefan.

Klaus nodded then he said “Kick the baby hybrid dick in the ass. You’re still my only one”.

Stefan smiled, truly happy for the first time in days, then Klaus disappeared, but Stefan didn’t care.  
He had seen Klaus, they kissed at each other and then Klaus finally chose him over Tyler. He grabbed one stake from his bag and put it in the sleeve of the jacket then he came closer to Tyler, Katherine, Elena and the other.

“Oh, finally !! said Tyler seeing him coming “I was starting to think that you were too much coward to come here and fight us to save the little wench”

“And miss the chance to kick your ass ? No way. I’m done with you and your dick face.”

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you ? But you’re not. You not worth anything compared me, especially for Klaus”

“We will see”.

Stefan was weaker than Tyler, he perfectly knew it, but Stefan had an incredible ace in the hole when he needed it. Stefan could be very dangerous when emotionally unstable, so much dangerous that he could win against vampires older than him. And he was emotionally unstable in that moment, his emotion were turned on as never while he punched Tyler in his face, and then hit him over and over again.  
That fury was alimented by all the memories Stefan had about Tyler and Klaus together, all that fury which he had been accumulating since he found out about Klaus and Tyler.  
Tyler was unprepared to all that fury, but he tried to stop Stefan’s attack, but he didn’t see the stake hidden in the sleeves, so when Stefan hit him with his, Tyler screamed for pain.  
While Stefan was literally destroying Tyler, Katherine grabbed the vervain and the stake inside his bag. She threw the vervain against the other two hybrids then she hit them with the stake. For security, she also ripped their hearts out of their chest.

“Less two. I’m done with this hybrids. One is more than enough” she commented.

“For the first time I totally agree with you” commented Elena “They almost severed my arms dragging me here. I’m surprised Klaus didn’t follow them”

“Klaus knows his father is somewhere in the city, ready to kill him. He known is not convenient fo him getting out” said Katherine enjoying the show of Stefan and Tyler.

Stefan hit Tyler in the heart with the stake, then he said “I will always be the only one for him. Goodbye Tyler!”

Then he killed him and Tyler feel on the ground dead. Elena gasped. Eve though everything happened between them during the last yeas, she knew it wasn’t completely Tyler’s fault but it was too late for him. He would never let them go and he would have been capable of killing Stefan and her only to please Klaus.

“Okay, draft me… It’s time for us to exchange our clothes” said Katherine taking her jacket off and throwing it to Elena.

“What ? Why ?” asked Elena shocked.

“Because Mikael’s going to come here to kidnap you and use you against Klaus. I’m not going to let it happen so Katherine will be pretend to be you” explained Stefan to her.

“Listen the boss ? Take your clothes off. Trust me, I’m doing you two favors. I’m saving your ungrateful ass and I’m lending you my clothes which are sexier than yours, even if you never pass over me”

“You’ll never pass over me” Elena mimicked and made Stefan laughing.

When the two had finished to dress up, Elena and Stefan left the cemetery and half our later, Mikael and Rebekah arrived. When Michael asked what had happened, Rebekah explained him that she had compelled the three hybrids to take Elena there and then kill themselves. It was the first time that Stefan saw him and he immediately hated that man. He looked a lot like Klaus, he was blond, tall and he gave off an aura of omnipotence, just like Klaus but Stefan hated him anyway. It was his fault if Klaus hadn’t had an happy childhood, if he had grown up believing he was a monster, a freak show. It was his fault if Klaus had never accepted himself for the wonderful creature he was.  
Stefan hated Mikael and he wanted him death.  
Mikael seemed very proud of his daughter but he didn’t wast time in compliments. He just grabbed “Elena” and took her away with Rebekah.  
Then Stefan took Elena away from them and he accompanied her to a car he had stolen before coming there.  
Stefan gave her the key, then he hugged her.

“Why do I have the sensation this is a goodbye ?” asked Elena with tears in her eyes.

“Look, this is your only possibility to go away from Klaus. In this bag…” said Stefan taking his back off his shoulders “You will find vervain and steaks to defend yourself in case someone would try to hurt you, but I don’t think it will be necessary considering the current situation. There are also money and a cell with the numbers of all your friends”

“Do you want me come back to Mystic Falls ? Do you want me to abandon you here all alone ? What about the ‘the you and me until the end’ ?”

“Actually I don’t wanna know where you’ll go. If you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to tell your destination to Klaus, even under compulsion. It will be safer for you. Only… send me a message when you arrive somewhere, just to let me know you’re okay” said Stefan with tears in his eyes too.

He didn’t want abandoned Elena in that ways, letting her go all alone God knew where but he had to. She deserved to be free and happy and if he wanted her safe it was time for hime to give up on her. Stefan was in love with Klaus but he loved Elena and needed to keep her safe and unfortunately he couldn’t do both of the things. Klaus needed Elena as a blood-bag and how would never let her live a decent happy life, and Elena was his best friend and Stefan would always protect her.  
Only now he understood that the best way to protect her from Klaus was let her go away.

“I’m sorry for everything Elena. I’m sorry for having failed you. I’m sorry for loving the monster who turned you life into a living hell, I’m sorry for your parents, I’m sorry for… for…”

“Sh, sh, sh” Elena caressed Stefan’s check, then she said “You’re giving me another chance to be happy and you can’t understand how much grate I am. You’ve always put me first, you’ve suffered the abuses of Klaus and his hybrids for me, for an entire year, when you could just abandoned me. You chose my side over Klaus’ ones because you wanted me to live and be happy. I’ve no reason to be mad at you, the only thing I can do is wish you to be happy again one day. You deserve to be happy and loved, Stefan”

“No I don’t. I should have done better for you. I should… I…”

Stefan cried all the tears he had not paid in a year on Elena’s shoulder. He hugged her and held her tighter as he’s never done. That maybe would be the last time they see each other, and Stefan wanted impress in his mind her perfume, her soft hair, the feeling of protection he felt when they hugged.

“You have to go now. Listen, when you will be somewhere safe, call Bonnie. If my plan has worked she should still remember you.”

“How can you say that ? What’s plan ?” asked Elena wiping the tears on her cheeks.

“You will understand. Now go, don’t waste more time. Go”

Stefan gave her one last kiss on her cheek then he want away with he supernatural speed. If had stayed one more second with here he wouldn’t have had the courage and the strength to let her go anymore.

...

Evening arrived at the end and everything seemed to go like planned. Mikael arrived while he was tugging Elena, with Rebekah at his side and all the hybrids behind them who were under Mikael’s compulsion. Stefan was hiding behind a tree, observing the scene.  
Klaus was on the other side of the door, in safe. Stefan noted he wasn’t surprised to see Rebekah on the other side, near Mikael but he looked really sad.

“Good evening sister !” said Klaus to Rebekah, looking her in the eyes.

“Hi Nik. I hope you know why I’m here tonight. Near to my father’s side” said Rebekah grabbing Mikael arm.

“Because you were tired of loving me and being loyalty to me, maybe. I was counting on you to be here with me but this isn’t the first time that you stabbed me in the back, Bekah. Do you remember what happened in this city a long time ago ? You and you ex boyfriend Marcel ganged up on me. You chose him OVER ME a long time ago!!”

“And you’ve never understood why, you don’t even try. You stuck a silver dagger in my chest and sent me into a magical slumber for 90 years, and why ? Because I had the audacity to try and live my life on my own with you. But you broke my heart over and over again !!”

“Now don’t be dramatic sister !! I’ve loved you and cared you ! I satisfied all your whims, I tried to protect you by all those leeches who pretended to love you only to receive the immortality in return!! The only thing what I’ve asked in return was that too would have kept your promise… Always and Forever. You hadn’t and you deserved to be punished !!”

“Why ? Because I chose Stefan over you ? Because I wanted to escape with your favorite toy and be free to live my life ?”

“My poor Sister… so this is the reason. Stefan Salvatore, the little toy we used to share in the roaring twenties. The young fool with funny hair who you loved and who chose me over you. I guess it still is a deep wound for your ego”

“When you will be dead, I take him. He will be mine again, I can swear to you”

“Maybe you need a lesson of what you can and CANNOT take from me !”

“You ungrateful bastard !! It’s always been me !! Not Finn, not Elijah, not Kol me… I LOVED YOU through everything and you didn’t care !! You still don’t care ! If you cared about me you wouldn’t have taken Stefan away from me ! Why is it so hard for you to let me happy ?”

Rebekah was screaming and crying at the same time and Stefan thought that a great part of that painful words were true. In fact, Klaus had done the same to him even if Stefan didn’t pass through what Bekah did.  
Klaus was an abusive and violent person when he wanted to be. He didn’t care about you, your will, your opinions… he just acted and hurt you at the end.

“Because your happiness comes at the expense of my sanity ! You have me done about you and your stupid feelings and you horrible attitude to fall in love easily with useless men !!”

“Of course… Go ahed ! Laugh at the girl who loves to easily… I should have been a coward like you, pretending not to feel at all, pushing away all the people around me only to track them down and punishing them for MY mistakes ! This is what you do Nick ! You make people abandoned you and then you punish them ! You coward !”

That conversation between the two siblings was over, and Stefan was relief of that. He didn’t want listen another words, but know he understood that was time for Round 2.

“Come on, face me Niklaus” said Mikael coming closer to Klaus “… or she dies”

“Go ahead…” answered Klaus “Kill her”

Both Stefan and Katherine lost a beat, even for different reasons.

“No” begged “Elena” “Klaus… he’ll do it”

“If she dies this lot will be the last of your abominations” said Mikael turning to the hybrids behind him.

“I don’t need them. I just need to be rid of you”

“To what end ? Niklaus, so you can live forever without no one at your side ?” provoked Mikael “Nobody cares about you anymore boy !”

Klaus remained silence, so Mikeal continued “Who would you have other than those whose loyalty you forced ? No one”

Klaus was silent but his body was trembling for fury. He looked like a bomb ready to explode.

“I’m calling you bluff father. Kill her” said Klaus.

“Come outside and face me, you little coward and I won’t have to”.

“My whole life you underestimated me. If you kill her you lose your leverage so go ahead on killer her” said Klaus “Come on old man, kill her, KILL HER !!”  
Shouted Klaus at the height of anger.

Stefan was going to intervene, at least he owned Katherine to stay alive. But then Mikael laughed, a cold laughed that would send chills to anyone.

“Your impulse Niklaus had and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great”

Then Mikael stabbed Katherine with a knife, while Rebekah and one other hybrids appeared at Klaus back. At that point, Katherine laughed then she got on her feet and hit the other hybrids with vervain. She had also stolen his dagger while he was stabbing her so when before disappearing in the darkness she

“Boom boom” she said before running away.

She had also stolen his dagger while he was stabbing her so when before disappearing in the darkness she gave Stefan the dagger.

“Good luck, honey”

Klaus was fighting against the hybrid and then he killed him. In that moment Stefan entered in the home by the entry on the back, not wanting Mikael to stop him.  
When he arrived he gave the dagger to Klaus, who used it to kill his father.  
Michael started to burn when Klaus hit him with the dagger and then only his dust remained.  
Stefan and Rebekah looked at each other and then smiled.  
Stefan hugged Rebekah for happiness and she hugged him back.

“We made it. It’s all over now” said Stefan to Bekah.

“Yes, thanks to you” said Bekah with tears in her eyes.

“You had done a great job too”.

“What do you mean ? Do you know about her little drama ?” asked Klaus to Stefan.

Klaus was smiling, even if he was still disturbed for what had happened just an hour ago. But he was happy, his father died and now no one would ever persecute him.

“I see you recovered very quickly from your almost death experience.” commented Stefan.

“I don’t like wasting time, you know it. Now, can someone explaining me what the hell was happening an hour ago ?” asked Klaus.

Stefan and Rebekah looked at each other and then laughed again but when they saw that Klaus was getting irritated they started to tell him everything.  
Rebekah told Klaus that she believed to Stefan’s innocence so she helped him to run away and collaborate to defeat Mikael.  
Then Stefan told that Katherine found him to talk to him telling him that She believed him, that she decided to help him and Bekah to defeat Mikael so no one of them would have died with Klaus.  
Then Bekah said about her conversation with Mikael, about the things she told him to convince him of her loyalty.  
Klaus listened carefully everything, not wanting miss a word. He was fascinated by their plan and their collaboration and Stefan could also notice that he was grateful to them for having choosing his side again. Both them.

“Thank you” he said with tears in his eyes.

Rebekah smiled then she came closer to her bother and held him tight. She couldn’t believe that she had almost lost him forever. Her heart broke at the only thought of never seeing him again. It didn’t care how many times Klaus could have hurt him, she would always love him with all her heart, she would always chose him over everyone else, she would always come back to him, ready to protect him from anyone.  
Klaus was happy and he felt safe now that he was hugging his sister. Rebekah may was a pain in the ass sometime, but he couldn’t imagine his life without her love, her smile, her affection and her loyalty. Klaus loved all his family, but Rebekah was the sibling he loved the most. When she said all the horrible and hurtful things to him, Klaus felt his heart shattering in pieces. But now that he knew it was only a part of a plan he was glad she was here with him.  
Stefan smiled at them, then he want away, wanting to let them alone. He didn’t notice that Klaus followed him with his gaze until he disappeared from his sight.

…

Stefan was in the woods. He knew he shouldn’t be there, the werewolves wouldn’t have hesitated to attack him but he was too hungry. He didn’t feed since he left home and, maybe for the fear, or the anger or the stress, he felt the necessity to feed again. Damon always told that he had the tendency to eat more than necessary under the stress, Stefan could say he was right even if he didn’t want to think about Damon. not now. Looking at Klaus and Rebekah hugging at each other remembered him about how much he missed hid brother and about how he needed to see him again or to know he was safe and sound.  
He had already finished to buried his last pray when someone called him from behind.

“Aren’t you done with suicide mission ?” asked Klaus with irritated voice even if it was clear he was relief too.

“What are you doing here ?” asked Stefan completely shocked.

“I didn’t see you coming back and I got worried and I did right because I found you all alone in the woods where you could easily be attached by werewolves. Are you crazy mate ?” asked Klaus coming closer to the other.

“I was hungry.” answered Stefan with an childlike grudge.

Klaus couldn’t stop himself from finding that grudge adorable and he wanted kiss Stefan right there right now but he couldn’t. It wasn’t safe and he was done with danger and death experience for that night.

He grabbed Stefan hand then he said “Let’s go home.”

Stefan didn’t reply. He was tired and he had drunk enough blood for that night. When they came back home, they found Rebekah sleeping on the couch. It had been an exhausting day for her too.

“I take her on her bed. Can I leave you alone for a minute or will you leave for another suicide mission ?” asked Klaus taking Rebekah in his arms.

“I’m not going anywhere. We have to talk” said Stefan with a significant and serious look on his face.

Klaus nodded then he disappeared. Stefan went into the garden. He lay down to watch the stars, it was a way to calm himself when he was stressed or anxious. He was afraid of how things were going to develop between him and Klaus. He was also surprised that Klaus hadn’t asked about Elena yet. When he would do what was Stefan going to tell about ? And what would Klaus do after his answer ?  
Would he kill him ? Should Stefan just run away from that home ?  
No, he shouldn’t, he couldn’t. He accused Klaus to be a coward and now he couldn’t be a coward too. It would have be hypocritical of him. So he stayed and waited Klaus’ arrival.  
He thought for a moment about his friends and about their hypothetical reactions to his relationship with Klaus. They wouldn’t have been comprensive like Elena, they would have told him not to trust to Klaus, to try to forget him. Damon would have been furious with him and he would have never completely accepted Klaus.  
‘I don’t know what to do’

“If it could makes you feel any better, I don’t know what to do either”.

Klaus was laying down next to Stefan, their body were close and their hands almost touched. Klaus talked as he had read Stefan’s mind, he’s always had this super power. He could understand Stefan better than anyone.

“I’m scared.” Stefan admitted with trembling voice.

“What does it scare you precisely ?” asked Klaus looked at the other who was avoiding his gaze.

“To be hurt again by you.” answered Stefan sincerely “Because now that I remember I can say that you hurt me… when you left me behind in Chicago. I understand why you left me but I would have preferred to be free of making my own decisions. And you hurt me when you obliged me to drink human blood again because I felt like you couldn’t accept me for who I am. I’ve always asked to myself why you had chose me of all vampires and…”

“Seriously ? Are you so insecure about yourself ? Seriously don’t you understand why I had and will always chose you ?” asked Klaus frustrated grabbing Stefan’s chin to make him look him in the eyes.

“No, please tell me” begged Stefan.

Klaus remained silent. How could he say to Stefan his true feelings ? How could he admit how and why he fell over the heals for him ? He couldn’t be so weak. Love was a weakness and he wasn’t weak… but he couldn’t live without Stefan either.

“Can you at least tell me you love me ?” asked Stefan “Or do I still come back to your sister to be loved with someone ?”

Klaus closed his eyes, trying to repress the irritation, the jealously and the possessiveness which were threatening him to take over him. He remembered how bad he felt when he saw Stefan and Bekah dancing together on the dance floor during the roaring twenties and every single time he had to stop himself from grabbing Stefan and make him his in front of everyone.

“Look, I know you were hurt and angry with me, for having chose Elena’s side, but I don’t regret my decision. Do you want to know where Elena is ?” asked Stefan trying to put it to the test.

Klaus smiled. Stefan was trying to test him. Of course he wanted to know where the doppelgänger was, both of them knew it. He had a bad influence on Stefan because the younger vampire was being pretty cruel with him.

“I know you’re not going to tell me anyway” answered Klaus with a little smirk.

“You can still use your compulsion. You wanted use it to have your old friend Ripper back.” provoked Stefan again.

“I don’t want use my compulsion and I’m not going to kill you, if that’s what you’re worried about. And you are free to go away if you want. I’m not going to stop you”.

That words hurt so much, but Klaus ignored the pain. His heart had put it up with so much pain that night that he didn’t care anymore. His love for Stefan was a problem for him, now he knew it. Stefan didn’t completely love him anyway, or he wouldn’t have let the doppelgänger go, knowing how much she was important for him to create his hybrids.  
Stefan was his one and only, his greatest weakness and he couldn’t have weakness.

“Seriously ?” asked Stefan sitting up “Do you truly prefer letting me go away instead of simply declaring for a fucking time in your life that you love me ? Are you so scared of me that you preferred not to see me again anymore instead of being sincere with me for once in your life ? Are you not even going to apology for what you have done ?”

“Apology for what ?” asked Klaus with anger “For having doubted about your loyalty ? You know why it happened, you betrayed me”.

“I could have never ganging up on you with Katherine and you knew it you just chose to ignore it. You wanted me to betray you so we could have arrived where we are, you still pushing me away and me still fighting for…”

“FOR WHAT ?? EH ?? Our love story ? Oh come Stefan, what we had in Chicago was fun. We were man who wanted to brake the boundaries and we did. Now, I’ve only used you as my personal wench, nothing more.”.

“If I worth nothing for you than kill me. Come on, kill me.” said Stefan with anger.

“I won’t kill you. You earned to live when you sided with me tonight. For the rest… You’re only a useless wast of space” said Klaus with poisoning words.

“So has our love been always one sided ?”

“Love, there’s no we. There’s me, myself and I. I stopped to love a long time ago, accept it” said Klaus grabbing Stefan throat.

“You’re so fucking scare… I can see it you know ? The fear in your eyes and your humanity too.”

“Shut up…”

“Do you want know why chose you over everyone ? Because you’re the only one who accepted me and appreciated me in my darkest period. Because you let me be myself, even when you don’t like it, because even if you’re a control freak when I’m with you I feel free to be myself. I didn’t want to fall in love with you and…”

“I said… shut up”

“… It happened anyway. And I knew, the first time that I looked you in the eyes, that you would be the only one for me. And now I remembered I felt so happy when you kissed me that first time that I thought I could die. You had been trying to push me away since then, because in that case you could blame me of having abandoned you, of having leave you alone, so you could punish me. But I’ve never left, I didn’t think about going away, not even during the last year…”

“You stayed for Elena, not for me”.

“Put it in that way if that makes you feel any better. We know that I stayed for you too. Because I’m in love with you and I’m not scared of telling you, because I’m not a coward”

“I… am… not… a… COWARD !!”

Klaus pushed Stefan so hard that he fell backward.  
There was a strange silence between them in that moment. There was a silence made of untold words, of hidden feelings, of pain, of fear, of anger and tears.  
Stefan stood up, apparently calm, not showing the hurricane inside him, and came close to Klaus.  
He felt old, so incredibly old and tired. Tired of waiting for someone who apparently didn’t want him at all. He didn’t deserve to suffer in this way, not for Klaus, not anymore. He had been waiting an year and he would have waited forever if only Klaus had stopped to hurt and lie to him.  
But Klaus made clear his priorities which were power, his hybrids, his reputation and his kingdom and it was clear that there wasn’t space for Stefan in his life neither in heart. So why kept suffer ?

“I leave. You made clear that you’re not going to stop me and I’ve nothing to stay here. Nothing”, then Stefan sighed and said “Make me forget about you. You did once, I’m asking you to it again”.

“No” Klaus answered without even thinking.

Did Stefan really want to forget about him again ? Did his little fool really want tossed aside him and all they moments together like pieces of rubbish ? Did his old friend finally give up on him forever ?  
If Stefan forgave him he would never come back to him again and Klaus still had the strong hope that, one day, he could have his old friend back again.

“I’ve helped you tonight. You owe me a favor Klaus. God… I accept that you don’t love me but I don’t have to suffer because of you any longer, I don’t want to. If you don’t care about me, what would it bother you do this little favor to me ?” asked Stefan without understand.

“Who’s the coward now ? You accused me to escape from my feelings, now you’re doing the same !” said Klaus pointing a finger against Stefan.

“You’ve always been good at turning the cards to your advantage. But it’s not going to work this time. When I leave, I will find a way to forget about you forever”

Stefan passed him without looking Klaus, but the other grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Stefan tried to get free of him, but Klaus surrounded his waist with an arm and then he kissed him. He kissed him like there wasn’t tomorrow. Klaus was kissing Stefan trying to comunicate him his feelings, something he wasn’t able to do with words. Klaus wanted to SCREAM to Stefan about how much he was important to him, about that he was the first thing Klaus thought when he woke up and the last before to sleep. Klaus wanted to shout hi that he felt like he was dying when he left him behind in Chicago and when he found out he was escaped. New Orleans wasn’t Mystic Falls, there wasn’t anyone to control the supernatural creatures and every single centimeter of the town belonged to one of the factions. Witches, vampires, werewolves… it wasn’t a safe city, and Stefan was too precious for Klaus not to be worry about him. Klaus had the temptation of looking for him, but his proud stopped him every single time. He was hurt and anger with Stefan and even now that he knew he was wrong he didn’t want to admit. It was so easy hiding behind a wall of lies and cruelty. Loneliness was hiss greatest fear, but it was Klaus who imposed to himself to be alone. Because if you have anyone, no one could hurt you, no one could betray you. Stefan was right, he was a coward, a coward madly in love with him.  
Klaus was literally devouring other’s lips while his hands were touching Stefan’s body everywhere. Klaus’ lounge were licking every single part of Stefan’s mouth, his teeth, his tongue.  
Klaus stopped to kiss Stefan’s mouth and he passed to his chin, then to his neck. He was touching Stefan’s neck with lips, then with his tongue and then with his teeth. Stefan felt the electricity running through him whenever Klaus touched him.  
God, he loved the hybrid so much.

“I want you” said Stefan, then he asked “Do you want me too ?”

“Do you want to forget about this ? About me?” asked Klaus with a frightened look.

“I just want to be yours, one last time… before I leave”

Then Klaus made his move. He pushed Stefan on the grass, without stopping to kiss him as his life depended on it. He didn’t want to let the other go, feeling Stefan so close to him was a wonderful sensation. Stefan’s perfume was intoxicating him, every part of Stefan intoxicated him every time, more than blood.  
Klaus made Stefan his that night, under the stars.  
Klaus and Stefan made love as never before. Their body were so close that it was impossible saying where one began and other finished.  
There was just one body, one soul, one heart.  
There was desperation in their gestures, there was love, there was need, untold words, tears of pain, a “goodbye” which both of them didn’t want pronounce.  
Stefan wanted impress every single detail of that moment, Klaus’ soft skin, his soft and fleshy lips which were kissing him everywhere, his strong hands which were exploring his entire body. Klaus was his life, was the reason why his immortality was less painful for him and he seriously didn’t want to leave him, but it was time for Stefan to have care of himself. If Klaus didn’t want him, Stefan would try to survive somehow, maybe one day he would finally stop to love Klaus. He didn’t know, he didn’t care at the moment. Klaus was the only thing that matter.  
The slept hugged all night, but when sun rose, Klaus found himself alone on the grass and a lonely tear rolled down his cheek.  
‘Goodbye.. old friend”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So this is the famous Stefan Salvatore I’ve been hearing so much about…” he looked at Rebekah and said “You’re right he does have funny hair.”
> 
> Stefan laughed with irony, without saying anything. That block was a dick and he wanted to make him shut up with a strong punch right in his face.  
> Klaus remained pleased by other silence. If the baby block had dared to talk him back he would have killed him instantly.
> 
> “I’m bored. I want to go home”
> 
> “Then go without me, I’m not your girlfriend”
> 
> “No, you’re my sister, which means you have to do as I say”
> 
> Then Klaus looked at Stefan with challenge, as he was daring him to fight against him. But Stefan didn’t attack him, he just looked at him with curiosity, then he smiled, like he was an old friend.  
> And that was just the begin.

NINE YEARS LATER…

Klaus had just finished to dress up. He completely ignored the young girl inside his bed whose name he completely forgot. She was a younger hybrid he had turned two months ago. Klaus didn’t feel anything for her. He hadn’t been feeling anything for anyone for nine years. Why should he has ?  
For loving someone he needed his heart, but someone had already stolen it without giving it back after leaving New Orleans.  
A lot of things happened when Stefan disappeared from his life. Klaus became colder toward almost everyone, each days seemed grayer and grayer and always the same. He did everything completely emotionless, he woke up the morning because he had the responsibility of an entire town on his shoulders, he hunted because he had to drink blood to survive but he didn’t enjoy hunting anymore, it made him think of too mani painful memories about him and his Ripper… But he didn’t complain, he didn’t have the right. He had asked for it. He chose his proud, his anger and loneliness over Stefan and the emptiness was what he got it in return and he couldn’t blame it on anyone. Above all the little fool.  
Klaus had tried to find Stefan during the first three years, Rebekah helped him too and when they got free Elijah and Kol, they accepted to help him too. But Stefan was nowhere to be found, the little fool was excellent at hiding when he didn’t want to be found.  
At least his relationship with his siblings improved. No more daggers, no more stabs in the back, more dialogues, more cooperation especially after the arriving of two other members of family.  
Five years ago Klaus had a brief relationship lasting few months with a young werewolf, her name was Hayley. Klaus was attracted to her because she reminded him of Stefan. Both of them were brunette with green eyes and both of them didn’t fear them at all.  
She was proud, and brave and she joked and kidded him without any fear, as Klaus was an old friend. She was also a troublemaker, with a turbulent past but she was a nice person after all. She had some problems about trusting, like Klaus himself, and all she wanted was belonging to something. She was alone, like Klaus too.  
They had very much in common and maybe because of this Klaus thought to be able to fall in love with her, with time and patient.  
They were a good pair after all, but Hayley wasn’t Stefan and Klaus didn’t want to think about her like a replacement.  
At the end they broke up but few weeks after, Hayley had surprise for him. She was pregnant and the father of her child was Klaus.  
Naturally Klaus didn’t believe her at the start. He couldn’t have any child, he thought he was sterile, like any other vampires but the witches told him that he could have children because he was born werewolf and when he became hybrid, the werewolf part of him let him to have children.  
Klaus didn’t want to become a father, he didn’t want any child, he thought about it like as an obstacle to greatness. He also thought for a moment to convince a witch to make Hayley abort it if it weren’t for Elijah and Rebekah who put some sense in him.

…

_Klaus was furious, so madly furious that he could destroy the entire city of New Orleans. How could Hayley lie in that way to him ? It wasn’t funny, funny at all._  
_He wasn’t going to be a father, he couldn’t. His mind refused to go there. And even if it was true, it hadn’t be his problem. Neither him or Hayley wanted to have a child or become parents, especially after their relationship was over, so Klaus was sure that Hayley would have found a way to get free of the baby in someway. At least he hoped._  
_How could he be a father ? He’d never had a father, or not a good example. What if he become an horrible father like Mikael ? What if his child hated him and left him like anyone else ? What if Klaus was too coward to give love to him or her ?_  
_In that moment he needed Stefan. The little fool always believed in him, he always thought about him like a King, even when Stefan was at the opposite side, Klaus could see in his eyes admiration and proud for him. Stefan was his rock, he always known how to make Klaus feel special, how to defeat his ghosts._  
_‘Why did you leave me ? Why did you give up on me ?’_  
_Klaus stop to thought about him. Thinking about Stefan, his smile, his lost faith in him, was only making the whole situation more painful and confusing._  
_It didn’t matter if he was a werewolf he would never accept that horrible child in his life. It was out of the question._

_“Niklaus please. Try to be reasonable” begged Elijah._

_“I’m being to much reasonable. Don’t you understand Elijah that all of this is a bunch of lies ? I’m a vampire and vampires can’t procreate and even if I could we both know that I could never be a father. I’m not the type.”_

_“Niklaus, this is not only about you. Stop being selfless and self centered. Stop thinking about your image. I won’t let you go, Niklaus. I won’t abandon you but you have to collaborate with me”_

_“You are beyond pathetic, Elijah”_

_“Who’s more pathetic ? The one who sees hope to make his family home… or a coward who can’t see the world for his own fear”_

_Klaus wasn’t able to respond. Damn, Elijah knew where to hit him. His brother knew Stefan was his greatest weakness and he knew what Stefan had told him before to leave because Klaus himself revealed it to him, during one night when he was so desperate, so sad, when another attempt to find the little fool failed and Klaus broke down and Elijah just hugged him all the time, listening carefully every single words._  
_’This is the cost for having been fragile for just one night… My brother who doesn’t hesitate to torment me with Stefan’s word’ Klaus thought with frustration._

_“I have not care about anything for centuries.” replied Klaus tiring of that conversation._

_“You know that’s a lie. You still care for someone who you let go. Someone who loved you beyond your cowardice. But let him go”_

_“Don’t you DARE to talk about HIM. He ran away from me, he was the coward”._

_He didn’t want to listen any other word anymore. He had an horrible day which he wanted it to end as quickly as possible. He just wanted to forget about everything and everyone and just move on. He just wanted the world and everyone in it disappear for a moment. Just to have the time to regain his control and find a solution for the mess which was his life._

_“Look at you… You can’t even say his name. It’s too painful, isn’t it ?”_

_“He showed he wasn’t strong enough to stay with me. Maybe he’d neve loved me, or if he had, his love wasn’t strong enough to stay with me”_

_“Why should he have stayed here with someone who was too much afraid to love him back ? He wanted be happy and here he wouldn’t be.”_

_“We could have fine a way to work. He enjoyed how the things were in Chicago he would have enjoyed again but he didn’t even try. He just abandoned me, like all of you !!”_

_“You’re right. I failed you and I could never forgive myself for this. But I’m here now, with you and I’m not going to abandon you anymore. We’re going to find a way to be a family again and to have care of this miraculous creature.”_

_“What kind of power, or greatness can that child give to me ?”_

_“Family is power, love is power Niklaus. Why can’t you understand that ? He was trying to make you understand it too”_

_“Stop talking about him. Mention him one more time and I will kill Hayley and the baby myself” threatened Klaus out of his mind for anger._

_“It won’t help you to fill the emptiness inside you.” Elijah sighed then he said “I know it won’t be easy, I know you’re scared…”_

_“I’m not scared of anything, brother”_

_Damn it, his voice trembles while all his usual confident seemed to be disappeared and his world were upside down again. Was Elijah right ? Could he do it ? Could he be a good father for his child ? Cold be stop to be a coward for once in his life ?_  
_Elijah was wiser than him, and even if Klaus thought about him like a great idiot, he knew that Elijah would have helped him, especially with his future father’s duties._  
_Klaus wasn’t sure if he could be a good father, but he would try, step by step, day after day._  
_Stefan wasn’t there with him but… maybe his child would fill the emptiness inside his heart._  
_Maybe there was a chance for him to be happy again._

…

It wasn’t easy at the begin. He and Hayley used to fight a lot about everything, both of them were stubborn, wanted to the the last word about their child, both of them convinced to be right every time. Fortunately their relationship improved after Hope’s birth and year by year.  
Klaus also told Hayley about the biggest love of his life and Hayley revealed to him her feelings for Elijah. So they weren’t a couple, but they were still a good pair, two persons who collaborated to do the best for their beautiful daughter.  
Klaus learnt how to be a good father, how to have care of Hope, how to love someone who wasn’t himself. He also started to see a psychologist. Actually she was another new friend of his, her name was Camille O’Connell. She found out he was a vampire, but she found herself interested and attracted to his complicated, intricate and darkness personality.  
She was a good friend and Klaus sometimes had some pleasant conversation with her. It was a good way to put some order in his head.  
So it could be possibile say that he regained his serenity in some twist way but he still loved Stefan. He still drew paintings and portraits about him.  
Hope asked about the “Nice Prince” once. Klaus told her he was an “old friend” but he could say that Hope didn’t believe him completely. She was young but she was incredible perceptive due to her three natures: vampire, werewolf and witch.  
In fact Hope asked about the Nice Prince to his siblings and Hayley too and at the end she asked to her daddy if he still loved the Nice Prince and why they weren’t together anymore.  
So Klaus told everything about Stefan, obviously omitting the more scandalous parts, and at the end Hope took his hand and said that she wanted the Nice Prince to come back, so her Daddy could be happy again. At that point Klaus hugged her, caressing her hair, trying to hide his tears from her.  
Somehow Hope was the only sunshine of his life. Now she was almost five years old and she was the most precious thing that Klaus ever had and every single time he thought that he had almost ordered to kill her he was ashamed of himself.  
Now, if someone had dared to put a finger on her he would have killed him immediately and painfully. He wasn’t a jealous or and overprotective father, as he was accused to be by Hayley, Rebekah, his newfound older sister Freya and… well… everyone who knew him too well, he just wanted to guarantee the safety of his lovely daughter.  
In fact, when Hayley and Hope, after coming back from a walk in a park, told him about the “New Friend” of Hope, Klaus got suspicious (and he wasn’t jealous, at all), so ‘suspicious’ that he offered to accompany Hope the next time.  
Of course Hayley didn’t spare him an eloquent look and a bad joke about his parenting, but Klaus completely ignored her.  
He was also surprised, how could Hayley not be worry about Hope new friend ? Who was he ? How cold she trust so easily of people after everything they got through in that town ?  
When they arrived in the park, there were other families with their brats and Klaus was observing carefully each one of them, to see who of them were the “New friend” of his daughter.  
Anyway, Hope didn’t come closer to anyone of them, expect for a little blond brat, who seemed to have no more than four years and who was sitting on the grass all alone.

“Hi Lex ! How are you ?” asked Hope with happy voice.

The little blond brat, who were blushing, looked down and murmured in a shiny voice “Fine. How are you ?”

If Hope weren’t a tribrid, Klaus doubted Hope would have heard his answer. And what kind of name Lex was ? It made Klaus thinking about a dog. His parents were cruel, really.  
Klaus’s name wasn’t beautiful too, but at least was original and it didn’t make people think about a dog, although Klaus was a werewolf.

“I’m fine. Why are you here alone ? Where’s your daddy ?” asked Hope sitting on the grass near him.

Klaus wanted to push away the little blond brat who were too close to his daughter and also punch in the face the irresponsible and negligent father who have left his son all alone.

“He forget his cell in the car. He will come back very soon” then Lex looked up to Klaus and then he asked “Is he your daddy, right ?”

“Yes, is he not nice Lex ?”

Klaus didn’t listen Lex’ answer, he wasn’t listening anything at all. That blond brat looked a lot like someone he used to know. That forest green eyes were similar those of someone else. How could that be possible ? He remembered that Stefan told him that he used to be blond when he was a child and that his hair got darker during the adolescence.  
But… Stefan was a vampire and not an hybrid like him, he couldn’t procreate, that boy couldn’t be his son. It was simply impossible.

“Dad ? Are you okay ?” asked Hope noting his loss.

Klaus was gong to answer when someone else arrived just in that moment, and the hybrid’s heart almost stopped.  
Stefan Salvatore was there, just in front of him and he was looking at Klaus like he was a ghost.  
When did Stefan arrive there ? What was he doing there ?

“Klaus ?” said Stefan with surprise.

“Dad… did you already know Hope’s daddy ?” asked Lex to his father, without understand the entire situation.

‘Dad ?’ thought Klaus. Had the little blond brat called Stefan ‘Dad’ ? His Stefan ?  
Stefan couldn’t say or do anything. He was completely stoned. He knew that coming back to New Orleans could mean to pup into Klaus but he had hoped to avoid him anyway. But destiny or just misfortune had other plans for him.  
God, he only got distracted for a moment, something that never happened in his entire life and when he came back he found his son in company of Klaus’ daughter.  
Yes, he knew Klaus had a daughter.  
He had some witches friends in New Orleans since he left the city nine years ago and he was still in touch with someone of them, whose sometimes shared informations with him about Klaus and the situations in New Orleans. Stefan knew all the troubles Klaus went through all that years but he’s never come back to help him. He couldn’t. He had passed through some troubles too and he didn’t want involve Klaus and his new reunited family. Stefan would have never forgiven himself if something bad had happened to Hope because of him.  
And he understood better father’s duties when Alexander, ‘Lex’, in honor of Lexi, arrived in his life. His birth had been an adventure too.  
He didn’t even know why had came back in New Orleans in the first place. He and Lex had left Mystic Falls three days ago and he still didn’t know where to go, so he decided to make a stop in New Orleans. They arrived yesterday morning and in the afternoon Lex asked him to go to park for a walk. Stefan thought that there was nothing wrong in a brief walk in the park so he consented.  
He never thought to meet the mother of Klaus’ daughter.

…

_Stefan and Lex were walking hand in hand in the park. Before to get out, Stefan made Lex wearing his gloves. He was the son of a siphoner hybrid after all and even if Lex was still a child he demonstrated to be very powerful for his age, too powerful. It was one of the reason why Stefan made him wearing gloves._  
_Stefan still remembered the expression of pain on Bonnie’s face when Lex accidentally absorbed her magic while he was hugging her._  
_Fortunately Stefan realized it right away and took Lex away from Bonnie._  
_Since that day Lex has been wearing gloves everywhere._  
_It wasn’t easy, Stefan knew his son didn’t like wearing gloves all the time. The other children mocked him sometimes, they called him “weirdo” but he was a smart child too and he understood why he had to do that. Stefan hoped that that time no one would have noticed that strange detail or at least he hoped they would have ignored._  
_But that wasn’t the only problem about Lex. He wasn’t only a siphoner as his mother, he was actually a witch. He had power on his own but he could also absorbed it by other witches._  
_Bonnie said that maybe it was due to the fact that his father was a doppelgänger of Silas, who was a powerful witch._  
_A little child, with blond long hair and grey eyes who was walking hand in hand with her mother, pointed toward them and Stefan gasped._  
_‘Please, don’t kid him’ he thought._  
_The mother, a young brunette girl, looked at them and then she smirked. She seemed to know him already, but Stefan didn’t remember having met her before._  
_Who was she ?_  
_She was coming closer to him with her daughter. Stefan was worried but it would seem rude going away, so he stayed, always keeping his son’s little hand._

_“Hi! I’m Hayley Marshall. You have a lovely boy. Is he yours ?” asked Hayley smiling at Lex, who looked back for his shyness._

_“Yeah, his name is Alexander. He’s a little bit shy. Sorry” said Stefan with a little smile._

_“No worry. I’ve never seen you around. I often come here with Hope, you know, to let her play with the other children and I’ve never seen you here”._

_“We arrived today. We have a room for tent and… Lex wanted to get out for a walk. I thought was a great idea. oh… I’m so rude. I’m Stefan Salvatore, nice to meet you” said Stefan holding out his hand._

_“Nice to meet you too” said Hayley shaking his hand._

_“Mommy, can I play with Lex ?” asked Hope with a gleeful smile._

_“Ask it to him. He’s here” answered Hayley._

_“Do you want play with me ? I promise that we don’t turn away a lot”._

_Lex looked at Stefan and he asked the permission with his gaze. Stefan smiled then he nodded. So Hope grabbed Lex’s hand and then they went to play somewhere else._

_“You have a beautiful daughter. She looked very friendly and kind”._

_“Lex instead is a lot shy, isn’t him ?”_

_Stefan looked sad for a moment. He knew why Lex was so shy, insecure and above all without friends, it was because of their lifestyle. They didn’t stay long in one place because Stefan felt the need to move after few time._  
_He was still so terribly scared that his demons was still following him._  
_He knew he and his friends had defeated them but he could never forget the pain he felt when he had to spend an entire year far away from his boy. Since then, Stefan didn’t feel safe anywhere. Not even in Mystic Falls where he had all his friends who now remembered him and Elena again, where Damon would have done anything to keep them safe._  
_But Stefan didn’t want to put their life in danger too, they had their lives and deserved to be happy. He and Lex would fine a way to be okay somehow._  
_At least he hoped it._  
_In return He and Lex were very close. They had a special father-son relationship and Lex was always happy to do things with him. Stefan learn Lex how to swim, ride a bike, how to control his thirst and his vampirism powers and his power as siphoner._

_“I… we move a lot. I never stay long in one place and it affects Lex. He is shy, insecure and his quite asocial. He doesn’t speak to anyone first, he always waits other to speak with him or to invite him to play. I don’t know how to help him”._

_“Maybe you should stay longer this time. Lex and Hope seemed to get along pretty well. But… can I ask you a question ?” said Hayley looking at the children._

_“I guess so” answered Stefan_

_“How could he be your son ? You’re a vampire. I thought vampires couldn’t procreate” said Hayley._

_“How do you know I’m a vampire ?” asked Stefan suddenly scared and worried._

_“I’ve just noticed your day ring” said Hayley shrugging._

_Stefan relaxed then he said with said voice “It’s a long story. I’m sorry but I don’t want to talk about it”._

_“No need to be sorry”_

_Their conversation ended there. Then they just looked the kids playing together._  
_When it was moment to go, Hayley made him promising to come back the next day and Hope practically begged him so she could play with Lex again._  
_Lex also begged him with his shiny eyes so Stefan consented to come back the next day._

…

“He is an old friend”

Stefan answered when his voice came back again. Lex didn’t say anything, but he started to look at Klaus with so much intensity that Klaus feared for a moment that the blond brat was reading his soul.

“Come on Lex, I want to play at hide and seek. It’s your turn to count” said Hope taking Lex’s hand.

Stefan and Klaus remained motionless for few minutes but then Klaus indicated a bench and invited Stefan to sit here with him.  
Stefan felt uncomfortable. He hadn’t been so close to Klaus for a long time and his presence still made him the same effect. It made Stefan barely breathing, his heart beating faster than normal and all his body shaking for electricity.  
How could be possible loving someone so deep that overtime you saw him was like falling in love like the the first time ? How could be possible feeling a love so strong and painful and deep for someone else ?  
Stefan didn’t believe it could be possible until he met Klaus.  
He tried to hard to move on in that years, to forget him, but it was enough look at him for a second to make Stefan fallen in love with him again.  
The same was for Klaus.  
The same Klaus who swore to never fall in love with someone again, the same who denied his love for Stefan nine years ago, the same who passed to not love at all at loving someone with all himself, with a passion that he couldn’t believe possible.  
Klaus showed Stefan the darkest part of himself, but Stefan was the one who had shown the light to Klaus again after a long time.  
And there they were. Darkness and light, gry and green, head and heart… together again.  
Their hands accidentally touched and both of them felt the electricity through their veins. If it was for Klaus he would have fucked Stefan right there on the bench, but he couldn’t.  
Stefan wasn’t his anymore and they had a lot of things to fix and to discuss about.

“So…” said Stefan taking the word for first “… We haven’t seen each other for long. I can’t believe it. Time passed so fast. A lot of things have changed and… You’re daughter is wonderful”

“Yes. She is the miracle Baby. I wasn’t happy about the idea of becoming father at the started. I wanted Hayley to abort but then, thanks to my family I changed my mind. Now I’m happy to have Hope. She’s the most precious thing of my life, she is my life and I can’t imagine my life without her” said Klaus with bright eyes looking at his daughter.

“Yes. I understand.” said Stefan looked at Lex.

“And what about your miracle baby ? How could you have him ? Vampires can’t procreate” said Klaus looking Stefan with confusion.

A veil of sadness crossed Stefan’s gaze then he said “Vampires can’t. Humans on the other hand…”

“Yes but you’re not a human”

“But I used to be and when I used to be I fell in love with a siphoner” said Stefan.

“Sorry a what ?”

“When I was human I feel in love with a siphoner, her name was Valerie Tulle. She was just a witch, rejected from her coven for being an abomination of nature because she had no power of her own. The only magic she had was contained in an amulet, to be siphoned in times of need. That amulet was the only thing she left to me when she abandoned me and Lex. I don’t know where she is, if you’re going to ask and I don’t want to look for her. Once she abandoned us I swore myself that I would never look for her again”.

“So… you’re son is a… siphoner too ? And how could he be so young if he burned when you were human ? ” asked Klaus, secretly glad to know that Stefan wasn’t with the mother of his son.

“Because he wasn’t born when I was human. He was born four years ago. Thanks to the help of someone else…”

…

_Stefan’s just come back in Mystic Falls. He had been having strange dreams about Elena, even if he didn’t know why but he wanted find out so he went there._  
_He knew that his friends now remembered about him. When Elena contacted Bonnie, telling her that Klas wouldn’t be a problem anymore, she made spell to give the memories back to everyone._  
_Of course some of them mourned Tyler’s death and wanted get revenge on Klaus, but Elena persuaded them not to. Klaus was too dangerous and no one would have to suffer because of him anymore._  
_Stefan was still in contact with Elena and other but he had been avoiding Mystic Falls for almost a year after leaving New Orleans._  
_He was almost arrived at Salvatore’s Mansion that, he didn’t know how but something provoked him a car crash._  
_He woke up few hours later in the woods and he was near a river and there was a shadow of someone else next to him._

_“Who are you ? Show yourself ?_

_The shadow smirked then said “You’re not a witch, that’s a pity because you would have been a powerful one. But… do you want know a funny thing about spells ? They’re bound by nature. Nature demands balance so every spell had loophole.”_

_“Why are you telling me this ?” asked Stefan without understanding._

_“The spell to turn me into stone…” continued the shadow completely ignoring Stefan’s question “…Is bound by a witch, a living witch. One that the witch died the spell broke”._

_“Who are you talking about ? What witch ? Who are you?”_

_“I doesn’t matter, does it ? And here’s where the mystery of me comes full circle…” the shadow stay silent few seconds then continued “I created the immortality spell two thousand years ago. I can never die, so nature needed to find a balance, a version of me that could die, a shadow self… a doppelgänger”_

_“And after all this long rant, can you show me your face ?”_

_“With pleasure”_

_The shadow advanced for few steps, then Stefan saw the strangest thing that he could ever see. The shadow looked just liked him, and it wasn’t like he was similar, but he was him._

_“Hello my shadow self. My name is Silas. I’m glad you’re here because I need you’re help in change of something really precious.”_

_Stefan was scared. Who were that guy ? How could Stefan be his doppelgänger ?_  
_He didn’t know that he was a doppelgänger himself._

_“I can see the confusion in your eyes. But don’t worry. Fortunately, we will spend a lot of time together, my Shadow self. In fact I need you to help me to find something important. Something that an old acquaintance of yours had stolen from me”._

_“Who ?”_

_“Katherine Pierce”_

_Stefan rolled his eyes. Once again Katherine pissed someone off and he had to pay the consequences. It was the story of his life. He had escaped from Klaus-problem only eight months ago, deceiving himself that he would never cross his path with Katherine again and now he was stuck in an unpleasant situation with someone who had his face and who wanted something from him._  
_This Silas didn’t seem to want hurt him but Stefan knew that if he had refused to help him, Silas would have found a painful way to persuade him._

_“What did she steal ?” asked Stefan surrendering._

_“A Cure. A very powerful Cure for Vampirism. I need it but someone had stolen it from me and used it to turn Katherine Pierce in her human form again.”_

_“How could that be possibile ? I’ve never heard about a Cure for Vampirism before”_

_“Because the biggest part of you fools believe it’s a legend, a fairytale for children. Unfortunately you’re friends weren’t part of that fools. They wanted to find the Cure to give it to Elena.”_

_“Is Elena a vampire ? How do you know her ? What do you know about my friends ?”_

_“You little Elena had a little… accident coming here. Don’t look at me, I was still a piece of stone when it happened. Anyway, they turned her into a vampire. Of course she wasn’t happy about the situation, so their friends tried to find a way to help her to be a human girl again. Poor them ! Katherine wanted Elena’s head and the baby vampire to defeat her older doppelgänger gave her the cure. And now… here we are. Me and my shadow self in a wood, ready to help me to find Katherine Pierce again.”_

_“How can I know where she is ? She usually pops out in my life and turning it into a living hell. And now you want me to find her. Where I start ?”_

_“You can start with coming back to other fools. Or you can be what you actually are. A shadow. Get some items from your friends and when you find her you will take her from me. She’s human now, it will be easier neutralize her”_

_“Are you going to kill her right ?” asked Stefan even if he already knew the answer._

_“Do you mind ? You accused her to turn your life into a living hell.”_

_“I know. But… no mind. I’m going to help you, even if I guess I don’t have any other choices”._

_“Wise boy. Now go away. We will meet again when you have Katherine.”_

_Then Silas disappeared in the darkness, leaving Stefan alone._  
_Stefan decided to follow Silas’s advice, so he didn’t come back home and he didn’t say anyone he was back. He just followed Damon and other in the hope to find Katherine soon so he could have be free of his new Silas-problem._  
_He spent two days looking for Katherine but he didn’t find her anywhere. But he kept following Elena, Damon and other. At some point he listened a conversation between Elena and Jeremy when he was telling her that he and Matt, probably, were going to an old campground their family used to go._  
_Stefan decided to follow Jeremy and Matt but someone found him before he could have found them._  
_She was a young woman, she told him her name was Qetsiyah._  
_She kidnapped him and imprisoned him inside her house._  
_She told him all her story, her relationship with Silas, how he broke her heart, how she wanted revenge after finding out that Silas wanted to spend his eternity with Amara, who was the ancestor of Petrova family. She told him he wanted revenge against Silas for having broken her heart and she needed his help._  
_She also said that before neutralizing him, she created a cure for immortality. She offered to Silas to take the cure and become human again and spend the rest of his life with her. But he refused._

_“I created the Immortal Spell, I made him the first Immortal creature in the world. I loved him… He was my true love… but he hurt me so much. I wanted revenge…”_

_“I’m sorry. But I can’t help. Silas’s threatening me.”_

_Qetsiyah didn’t seem worry about his answer. Instead she smirked._

_“Well, I have a better offer to get your allegiance”._

_“What do you mean ?”_

_“I’m going to tell you another story now. Once upon a time a young sixteen man met a beautiful young woman, with blond hair and beautiful blu eyes. She was his first love, her name was Valerie Tulle. He thought she was a normal girl, but she wasn’t She was a siphoner, a witch without power on her own but capable of absorb magic from other witches. She was a member of the Gemini Coven and…”_

_“Stop it. I don’t want to hear another word about her”._

_“And she had the task to keep an eye on you. But she fell in love with you. You made love and she got pregnant but…”_

_“What ?”_

_“… But another member of her coven obliged her to abort. Then she had to leave you and she did. She told you she had used you and then she disappeared. But her pain for having left you was too strong so she committed suicide and she became and hybrid. Yes, because even if she was a vampire she still was a siphoner too. She could absorb magic by other witches. Then she tried to simulate her death but the other member of her coven found her and killed forever.”_

_“Why are you telling me this ?” asked Stefan who was still thinking about the pregnancy part._

_How could Valerie do that to him ? How could Valerie not tell him she was pregnant ? Who had kill his child ? How could someone do something so cruel ?_  
_He had been living for all this time… and he thought that eternity was a curse without knowing that the worst thing that someone could ever do to him was already done._  
_He was too young to be a father, sixteen years are not so much, but he would have taken his responsibilities. He would have tried to be a good father but someone else made that decision for him. Someone denied him the privilege of being a father._  
_He looked at Qetsiyah who was looking carefully at him, trying to studied his thoughts while she was still talking._

_“Because before dying I created the other side, a sort of Purgatory for supernatural creatures. What did you think ? I knew that if Silas had died his spirit would have reunited with Amara’s ones again, they would have been happy… I couldn’t accept it. So I created this Other Side and I used Amara as anchor. Help me to defeat Silas, to kill him inside the Other Side and I will use Amara to take Valerie and your child back”._

_“Can you do that ?” asked Stefan with broken voices._

_“Your child was a supernatural creature. Even if he died his spirit could be invokated and if we take back Valerie, he can have a chance to live. But you have to help me and trust me. Okay ?”_

_Stefan nodded, without hesitating. He didn’t know if Qetsiyah’s story was true, but if it was and Stefan wouldn’t have done anything to have his child back, he would never forgive himself._  
_He had to try, until the end._

…

“So you made a deal with her” said Klaus with admiration.

“Yes. But it had been painful. To defeat Silas she took me down and bounded me to Silas to suppress his powers. But my brother found me and interrupted the spell. After that I lost all my memories. I couldn’t remember anything and and pushed away everyone, except Caroline. We were almost best friends when I left Mystic Falls, I helped her after the transition to control her powers so…”

“And how did Damon find you ?”

“Maybe Silas warned him. Maybe he made up some story about Qetsiyah kidnapping me and torturing me and without memories I couldn’t denied that story. But I couldn’t trust Damon either so… for some reason… I came back to Qetsiyah. She took care of me, flirting with me but I pretended not to notice it” then Stefan laughed but Klaus wasn’t funny at all.

Klaus was surprised to find himself terribly jealous of Stefan after all that time. How could someone else flirt with Stefan ?  
He’s never seen that Qetsiyah but if he’d ever done he would have killed her only for having flirt with Stefan. He was tempted to ask Stefan if he had slept with her but he stopped. They weren’t a couple and he hadn’t right to ask anything. In addition he didn’t want show his jealously to Stefan.

“Don’t need to be jealous of her, Klaus.” said Stefan who had completely understood the other “I should be the one with criminal intents here. I know you had a long love-hate relationship with a certain Marcel”.

“Trust me, is nothing to warrant this discussion. Marcel attempted at my life several times. He ganged up on me and my family, changing his side only when it benefited to him. He belongs to my bloodline, after all.”

“What did it persuade you to brake with him ?” asked Stefan.

“Well… listen this story because it’s nice too”.

…

_FOUR YEARS AGO…_

_Klaus and Marcel were literally devouring each other’s mouth. Their hands were touching everywhere and their body were so close that it wasn’t possible say where one ended and the other started if it wasn’t for the skin’s color._  
_Marcel moaned when Klaus started to suck his skin on the neck, without biting him. It was something he had stopped to do with his lovers, Marcel included._  
_Nevertheless having sex with Marcel was different. Klaus had sex with him when he wanted to feel something, when he wanted to fill the emptiness inside his heart._  
_Klaus’s never loved Marcel and if he did, it wasn’t deep as his love for Stefan. But Marcel was important to him, he was one of the few people he truly cared about._  
_Klaus wasn’t using Marcel to forget Stefan, he knew it would have been useless, he was only trying some affection in that caresses, in that kisses, in that union of bodies whose weren’t perfect together, whose weren’t born to be together._

_“Do you want me ?”_

_That was the question Marcel always asked to Klaus before being taken by him. Klaus always answered in the same ways._

_“Yes I do”_

_He wasn’t lying in that moment, he really wanted Marcel, he really wanted to be inside him so deep, so fucking deep that he could almost hoped to forget Stefan once and for all._  
_So he just turned his mind off, stopped to think about anything._  
_But the problem came back when everything was over, when his mind turned on again and Klaus felt empty as ever._  
_Why did he have to feel that way ? Why ?_  
_How could be possible that not even Marcel was able to erase Stefan from his mind ?_

_“You still think about him”_

_It was a statement, because Marcel didn’t need to ask, he knew it was true, not matter how much Klaus would deny._  
_Klaus didn’t answer, he just lay down on his part of the bed, observing the ceiling, avoiding the other gaze._

_“I’m not thinking about him. I’m trying to understand why someone who fucks with me still trying to conspire against me”._

_“You know why. Until I find a way to resurrect Davina I won’t leave you be. I didn’t want her to die, but she died because of you”._

_“You know you can’t. Her spirit had been destroyed. You lost her forever”_

_“Yes, because of you and your family”._

_“I didn’t want it. I didn’t agree with them for sacrificing Davina. But you had to understand that it was necessary.”_

_“No, it wasn’t. I know you, if it was someone else, him, for example, you would have tried to find another solution. You didn’t even try.”._

_Klaus didn’t say anything. Marcel was right._  
_Klaus and Davin had a crooked relationship, they didn’t like each other, but she was good young girl and Klaus wasn’t happy to let her die. He was sorry but Lucied had to be stopped. He tried to kill him, Hayley and Marcel himself._  
_He understood that. Davina was like a daughter for Marcel, ha had took care of her since the witches had tried to sacrifice her for the Harvest. It was a complicate relationship, but they deeply cared for each other._  
_Davina last words for Marcel were “I love you, Marcel”, and then Freya sacrificed her._  
_After that Marcel declared war to Mikaelson, breaking all the bounds with them. He harshly renounced his friendship with Klaus._  
_Klaus was angry and sad for Davina’s death. He tried to fix things with Marcel but the other kept pushing him away. At least after the first years._  
_Now they had a secret affair, Klaus’ family didn’t know anything about their relationship. There weren’t romantic feeling involved, or at least not by Klaus._

_“I’m sorry” said Klaus._

_“For what ? For Davina ? For me ? Or for yourself ?”_

_“Maybe for everyone of us. I don’t know anymore. What do you want me to say ?”_

_“I want you to come back. I want the man who I considered my father once to come back. He was a strong man, he thought me to survive, he was so determinate and confident. He cared only for few people… even if he pretended not to care about anyone… I admired him but then…”_

_“Then what ?”_

_“Then he started to take everything away from me. Myself included. He took everything the could have from me and then… He disappointed me over and over again, and he hurt me. He also let his family killed the girl who I consider my daughter twice… I forgave him the first time. Davina’s power was too strong and it would have destroyed New Orleans if we hadn’t completed the Harvest. But the second time ? He abandoned her… and broke my heart again. And I feel like I’ve lost him forever and there’s nothing I can do to have him back and… do you know what is the worst part ?”_

_Klaus remained silence so Marcel continued to talk “There’s no one else to blame for it but himself. He did this to him, to me and everyone. He gave up and other had simply done the same”_

_“I didn’t give up anything”_

_“Yes. You gave up hope. And at this point only your daughter’s keeping you alive. Not me”_

_Their conversation ended there. Then they fell asleep._  
_Two weeks after Klaus found out that Marcel wanted to put him on a trial, inviting all his enemies and the people he had hurt to make him pay for the terrible things he had done._  
_Klaus laughed when he found out about the trial but Marcel wasn’t joking at all._  
_When Marcel and Klaus encountered before the trial, Marcel looked really embittered._

_“I called him… I tried to get in contact to him. I haven’t found it”._

_“I doubted he would have come anyway” said Klaus embittered too._

_“Why ? You hurt him too. I wanted to listen his indictment speech to you.”_

_“In that case I’m happy you didn’t found him. He had a lot of things to reprove to me.”._

_“He’s not the only one but he’s the only one you care about… again”._

_“Why does it matter ? Are you jealous of him ?”_

_“There’s nothing to be jealous about someone who’s in love with you. He has to be a great masochist.”_

_“I warned you to stop where you are. I don’t want to listen any other word about him.”_

_“Fine. Save your energy for tonight”_

_The evening arrived too fast again, but Klaus wasn’t afraid. He was surrounded by all his enemies who were screaming and shouting at him, cursing him for all the things he had done to each one of them._  
_Every single person in there screamed against him._  
_Marcel elected all the things he had done._

_“Klaus Mikaelson… sire to a thousand years of angry faces. How does it feel to be this hatred ? Go on… look at them”_

_Klaus didn’t obey, he just continued to smirk. That situation was making him laugh. Inside, at least._  
_It was so much ridiculous, every single person in there was ridiculous._

_“I SAID LOOK AT THEM !! They’re all yours, after all.. Do you remember him ?” asked pointing at man with long hair “… 1694… his wife accused Rebekah of witchcraft, so you turned him and then compelled him to drain his wife._

_“And for this man, he was a simple farmer in 1745…” said pointing another man with glasses “He made the mistake of owning a land that you wanted. You could have easily taken it. Instead you turned him and then made him burn his entire village to the ground”_

_“For this woman 1891…” said indicating a young girl “Her mother had pneumonia, coughed all through the night. You got annoyed so you turn them both and made her watch as you burned her mother alive”_

_“Yes, yes, yes, my sins were terrible indeed they taught the world to fear me and that fear protected my family !” said Klaus._

_“Don’t preach me about family. I was your family once or so you said. And where did that get me ?” asked Marcel with fury._

_“I could have left you nameless and alone but I didn’t. I took you and I made you all that you are.”_

_“I guess you made everyone here. Made us all in your image… angry, paranoid, merciless… why ? Why even bother siring us ? Are you afraid to be alone ? Was at at it ? Did you want to make something so vile and disgusting like you ?” Marcel interrupted for a moment then he said “In the end reason doesn’t matter. You made us , you abandoned us and anyone who dares stand up fro themselves you took away everything that we loved, because that it what you do and for that you must pay”_

_Applauses, shouts and screams rose around him another time and Klaus was really starting to loose his patient._

_“ENOUGH !” screamed Klaus “I disappointed you ? Marcellus ? Putting up all this pathetic show ? Is hardly the mark of a true leader when you say”._

_“Please, you want the last word, take it. Then we can finish this”_

_“Look at you outraged over the loss of Davina. She who routinely betrayed my family and in the end defied even you. Perhaps you should have worn town before those who cross me, maybe, what happened to her was your fault”._

_Marcel was going to attack him but Klaus said “Oh !! No matter !! Davina’s death did help defeat Lucien so I suppose you could say the little witch did finally prove herself to be of some minute worth…” then Klaus spoke to all the other people “And as for you lot !! YES !! I murdered your loved ones… I killed your harlot…” said looking at the the first vampire “…I rid the world of your slum…” said at second vampire “And I freed you from your decrepit mother.” said at the third vampire “ So what of it ? Each and every one of you stands here today because I willed to be so. This mockery of a trial is allowed only because of me and you’re very immortality is a gift from me. The debt that you can never repair one that far off sets all of my supposed crimes. I own you… nothing. SO GO ON !! KILL ME !! I welcome the piece of death as a reprieve from this tedium. I will die suffering but a taste of the agony I have inflicted upon all of you. The scales remain in my favor and in the end when you will all know that I won… you will remember me… KLAUS MIKAELSON… and you’ll make it.”_

…

“And then ? What happened ? He didn’t think that he would have died with you ?”

“Davina, the dead witch who Marcel considered his daughter, had succeeded to brake my bound with my bloodline. So…”

“So you’re saying you could have died and I would’t even know about it ?” asked Stefan almost angry.

Did he really risk to loose Klaus forever without being able to do anything to help him ? Did Klaus risk to die ?  
Stefan hadn’t any right to be mad but he was. He loved Klaus, even if he went away nine years ago. He didn’t leave Klaus because he didn’t care about him but because Klaus made clear his inexistent feelings about him.  
Stefan hadn’t had the courage to come back to New Orleans in all that time, he didn’t want to come back there and find Klaus happy with another person or to let the hybrid braking his heart again. But… the other witches never told him anything about the trial, why ?  
He felt surprised to notice himself so still worried about Klaus’ life.  
Klaus, who could easily understand Stefan’s emotions as always, was happy to know that his little fool still cared for him and his life. It was making him hope that maybe it wasn’t too late for him to make things right for once.

“He stabbed me. I felt an indescribable pain and I was sure that I was going to die but then… my family saved me. They knew what was going on, the trial and the rest. Even Hayley came to save me. She also reproved me. But she was right. I’m not on my own anymore. I have a daughter who needs me even if she deserves a better father”.

“I don’t think so. The heartless cruel man you used to be couldn’t be a good father for here. But you can be a very kind and protective person. I remembered what you’re able to do for protect the people you cared about. You tried to hide it but I got you figure out a long time ago”.

Klaus smirked but he was happy to know that Stefan hadn’t changed his opinion about him and he was glad that Stefan thought he could be a good father for Hope.

“I missed you so much” said Klaus before he could think about what he said.

Stefan looked surprised but then he smiled and he said “I missed you too. I’m happy to have come back here.”

“How long will you stay ?” asked Klaus trying to hide the fear in his voice.

“I don’t know. Me and Lex usually don’t stay long in a place. We move, a lot. It would be amazing giving my boy some… stability but… I don’t know… I don’t feel home anywhere”.

“Not even in Mystic Falls ?” asked Klaus arching his eyebrow.

“Especially there. When… When I got succeeded to resurrect Valerie and Lex… other people came back alive with them. Dangerous people, especially the vampire who had beaten Valerie so hard to make her lost our baby”

“Is he still alive ?” asked Klaus, almost hoping he wasn’t so he could torture and kill him in his own way.

“No, we defeated them but then… well… A lot of things terrible happened to me and Valerie and so, when we resurrected Lex, we had to abandoned him with Elena and Damon and ran away. I spent an entire year away from my boy, running and hiding like a criminal, and it had been an agony. When I could come back to Mystic Falls, Valerie said that staying with me would have been too dangerous for her, so she went away.”

“I’m sorry. I guess it isn’t easy for Lex”

“No. It isn’t. I’m a single father who has no idea what to do with a shiny insecure unfriendly boy he loves with all his heart” said Stefan a little embittered.

“I’m sure you’re good father too. You didn’t abandon him and Lex’ll remember it forever.”

“I do really hope.”

Then there was another embarrassing silence between them. Klaus didn’t know what do say, Stefan instead knew what he want to say but he was scared. He had been agonizing for a moment like that with Klaus since the night he left New Orleans and now that they were finally reunited he was scared to death.  
‘You’re not a coward Stefan. You can do it’

“I missed you, Klaus. And I’m happy to see you again” said with a shiny voice.

“I missed you too.” said Klaus taking the other’s hand “What do you say about… seeing each other… you know… only you and me somewhere”

“I would love it but I don’t know, I can’t leave Lex alone.”

“He can stay at my house with Hope. I see they get along, she was happy to come here to play with him.”

“Are you sure he doesn’t disturb anyone ? I don’t want create any problem…”

“Don’t worry about anything. Accompany your son to my house then we will decide where to go”.

  
…

So they did. Stefan accompanied Lex to Mikaelson’ Manson and then Klaus and Stefan got out under the jokes and the gazes of the other Mikaelson’s family.  
Actually Stefan considered the entire situation hilarious. It was the first time he met all the members of Mikaelson’s family and he was glad to finally meet all of them.  
It was cute seeing Klaus so embarrassed after Kol said to him “Your mourn is officially ended Bro, the love of your life is back”.  
Kol was joking but Stefan was ready to bet Klaus was blushing and meditating to strangle his younger brother.

“Please, ignore them. This family makes me want to kill people sometime” said Klaus rolling his eyes ignoring last Kol’s stupid joke.

“Damon makes me wanting make my head blow up. I’m used to it” said Stefan smiling.

“Oh come one bro ! We’re not that bad !” said Kol with a mischievous smile.

“And who’s this little man ?” asked Freya to Lex.

Lex hid behind Stefan clinging to his jacket and hiding his face.

Stefan smiled apologetically to Freya “Sorry, he’s shy. What’s your name ?”

Lex didn’t have time to answer because Hope ran out and exclaimed “Lex !! I’m happy you’re here.”

Lex said hello with an hand, still hiding his face behind Stefan’s back. Both Stefan and Klaus smiled. Then Stefan caressed Lex’s hair and grab one of his little hand and pushed him forward.

“What’s your name my boy ? This beautiful woman wants to know it” said Stefan with a gentle smile.

“I’m… My… My name is… Alexander but… call me Lex. Everyone does.”

“Nice to meet you Lex.” said Freya caressing his cheek.

“Come inside Lex. I want to show you my toys so we can play together.” said Hope taking Lex’s hand and going inside the house.

“They’re adorable” commented Freya following them.

Both Klaus and Stefan smiled again then the hybrid said “May we go ?”

Before Stefan could answer, Kol said “Don’t come back too soon. The animal inside Niklaus had been waiting for too long for this moment”

Both Klaus and Stefan almost blushed at that stupid joke and Klaus was tempted to stab Kol in that moment for one thousand years at least.  
Klaus grabbed Stefan by his arm and then they went away, before Klaus succumbed to temptation of murdering someone.  
Stefan and Klaus talked along the way, more to avoid an embarrassing silence.

“What about uncle Damon ? How is he ?” asked Klaus without any particular interest.

“He’s with Elena. They had been together since Bonnie gave memories back to everyone. I’m happy for them and I’m grateful to them too. They took care of my boy when I couldn’t. But, I don’t know why, Lex had a special relationship with Caroline. She’s his favorite aunt and he cried every time we left Mystic Fall because he can’t see her,”

“Caroline is a lovely girl and Hope was really happy when she saw Lex. She hasn’t a lot of friends either even if she’s friendlier than Lex”

“I consider it a luck. Lex would have never asked her to play with him if it had been for him. His shyness is a big problem for him”

Klaus remained silence then he asked “So… What is Lex ?”

“I thought he was a siphoner like Valerie but.. he was born when Valerie was an hybrid, so he’s a siphoner-witch-vampire and he also the son of a Doppelgänger. So Bonnie thinks he could have some of Silas’s powers. What about Hope ?”

“She’s a tribrid. Witch-werewolf-vampire. Her power is strong and she’s going to have a lot of problems to control it. I’m happy Freya’s here. She’s the only one who can help my daughter with her power.”

So they talked all the way until they arrived at one of the best restaurant in New Orleans.  
That was Klaus’ great occasion to fix things with his little fool and he wanted everything to be perfect and special.  
Stefan was nervous. He was afraid to screw up everything again.  
He had spent almost two hours in from of his mirror to decide what to wear. Lex told him he looked like auntie Care when she was in his same situation. Stefan laughed about it and then he kissed his son’s cheek.  
Klaus, nervous as well, had compelled the owner to book all the restaurant so he and Stefan could speak without any distractions.  
Stefan usually would have reproved Klaus for that but he was happy to have some privacy with him.

“So… here we are again” said Klaus taking the menu without reading it.

“It seems so” said Stefan looking at meno, trying to find something he could afford. He hadn’t a lot of money with him at the moment.

“Pick what you want. I’ll pay” said Klaus as he had read Stefan’s thoughts.

“You shouldn’t…”

“You’re right. I have to. Last time we talked I screwed up everything. I don’t want you to go away this time” said Klaus with determination in his eyes.

“Yes. I… I… I shouldn’t have gone away. I know that I should have stayed that night. I should have stayed and fought for you. But I was hurt and left anger took control over me and…”

“Seriously ? Are you apologizing with me when I should be the one to apologize with you in the first place ?”

“The fault wasn’t completely yours as I wanted to believe then”

“Well I used to be sure that you had the entire fault so… I guess we both improved”

Stefan laughed “Maybe becoming fathers made us better. Lex made me a better man”

“Quite challenging. You were a saint. A gorgeous, kindness, passion able, lovely, gentle boy with funny hair.”

“We both know I’m not a Saint. I used to be a Ripper once and I fell in love with Katherine Pierce. Two details which made me quite a sinner. And my hair are perfect”

“ Yes, if you’re sure about that. Having sex with me count as one of your sins ?” joked Klaus.

“Falling in love with you was one of the best things happened in my life” said Stefan looking Klaus in the eyes.

Klaus was shocked. He didn’t expect an answer like that and he remained silence.  
After that line, an oppressive silence fell over them, even after they had ordered. They started to eat in silence and Stefan began not to feel at ease. He had a lot of things he wanted to say to Klaus, a lot of thing he had been keeping in his heart since he left New Orleans, a lot of things he was ready to admit.

“You helped me. You were right when you said that I was trying to be someone I wasn’t. When I was with Elena and other, I was scared of who I was or what I could do. You taught me not to fear the darkness inside me, you accepted me for who I was and even when you found out I wasn’t a Ripper anymore you didn’t abandoned me. You still chose me over everyone else. You wanted me and I was happy for this. You made me happy.”

“Then… why haven’t you stayed ?” asked Klaus with trembling voice.

“Because you weren’t ready for my love. You weren’t ready to put behind all your darkness, your fear, your anger and paranoia… If I had stayed I would have fallen in my own darkness again and I didn’t want. I was anger… but I knew that I had to wait for you”.

“What If I hadn’t been ready yet ?” asked Klaus.

“Klaus, I’m going to wait for you forever. You did the same, in someway. When you left me in Chicago you could have just find someone else but a part of you waited for me. Or Am I wrong ?”

Klaus was tempted to say he was, but he didn’t. He was tired of waiting, tired of denying, tired of hiding himself and his feelings.  
Stefan was right, he wasn’t ready to accept his love nine years ago, he wasn’t ready to accept that his heart belonged to someone else, he wasn’t ready to pass over his anger, paranoia and proud.  
He wasn’t ready to be saved. He wasn’t ready to accept that a mundane vegetarian vampire made him fallen in love with him. He wasn’t ready not to be self centered anymore. He wasn’t ready to forgive Stefan for having chosen Elena over him. He still was so completely jealous…  
But now he was. Now he didn’t care about anything apart from Stefan.

“I’m ready now. I’m not completely changed. I’m still paranoid, possessive, overprotective and jealous about the people I love the most… I still have a bad temper… I’m impulsive, still trying to get over the world…”

Klaus and Stefan laughed at it, then the hybrid continued “… And I’m still waiting for my old friend to come back”.

“Only an old friend ?” asked Stefan with disappointment.

“I like calling you in that way. But I do hope that I won’t waste this opportunity like last time.”

“Can I ask you something ?”

Stefan’s been wanting to ask it to Klaus since that afternoon, but he didn’t. He was too scared of the answer.

“Have you ever looked for me all these years ?” asked Stefan.

“I have. I looked for you everywhere but you were nowhere to be found. I also looked for you in Mystic Falls” admitted Klaus without even trying to lie.

“Well… I’m not surprised. I haven’t spent much time there. When I resurrected Valerie and she was pregnant again we left Mystic Fall together but I was doomed to come back there anyway”

“Doomed ? Why ?” asked Klaus without understanding.

“The Travelers. They… they made me have visions about an hypothetical life with Elena. I didn’t understand why I dreamed that things so I called Elena and she confirmed to have the same dreams. Valerie was pregnant and I didn’t want to come back to Mystic Fall with her so we went to an her old acquaintance. I came back and I get captured by the Travelers”

“Why were Travelers interested in you ? What did they want ?”

“Qetsyiah and Silas belonged to the Travelers covens, but when Qetsyiah created the immortality spell, their coven had been cursed. To brake the curse was necessary the blood of both of Doppelgängers, mine and Elena’s.”

…

_Stefan and Elena had their last vision together. They were married, they lived together, in their own house, they had normal life, without vampirism, or cursing-death situations, they talked about normal things, they had… had children and they were happy._  
_They lived a normal life and they were happy, because that was the life they both wanted to live._

_“Elena ?”_

_Elena turned toward him and asked “Did you feel that too ?”_

_Stefan nodded then said “And then it just ended”_

_“Does that mean that it’s over ?” asked Elena with tears in her eyes._

_Stefan nodded again and he was surprised that he had tears in his eyes too. That vision was… beautiful and painful. Too much painful. It remembered him everything he lost, everything the vampirism took away from him. All the possibilities he could have had if he had stayed human._

_“Yeah… It’s over” said Stefan._

_“They weren’t real” said Elena with embittered voice._

_“It was a spell. Showing us what we wanted to say”_

_“There weren’t vampires, my parents were still alive… It was a fantasy like a movie. It’s a lie we’re never going to have.”_

_“But it’s still felt…” Stefan couldn’t say how it felt._

_“Amazing” said Elena, knowing the other’s though._

_“Yeah”_

_It was so much amazing. Stefan was happy in that vision, so happy as he hadn’t felt in so many years. He had a wife, someone who shared his life with until the day he died, someone who loved him, who would die for him. He had children who were born in a shining world where their father wasn’t an abomination, a killer, a ripper._  
_That vision showed him a place where to come back at it, a place where he felt “home”._  
_In that moment, Stefan felt so lonely._

_“You know… the life that we had… It was amazing too. It wasn’t a spell or a prophecy. It was real. We fell in love on our own and we had ups and downs, we fought and…”_

_“I died” continued Elena._

_“We changed both of us. We grew and we grew apart but that is real and that’s life”_

_“You can cook”_

_“And you could again. A fantasy”_

_Elena laughed. She was still sad about the situation but now she accepted it too. She couldn’t have that life anymore, but the life she had was beautiful and she could still have an happy life with the people she loved and who loved her back._  
_Stefan was sad too but he had accepted that he would be a vampire a long time ago. It was beautiful, anyway, living the life of his dreams for once._

_“I’ll always love you, Elena”_

_“I’ll always love you too”_

_And he did. He loved her, she was important to him and he was happy to share that moment with her._

_“You can still have a family, Stefan. Valerie’s pregnant. When all this situation’s over you will have an amazing family.”_

_“And you can still have your own family with Damon. Maybe you won’t have any child but my child will be your family too”_

_“Thank you” said Elena taking his hand._

_Stefan smiled. He could still have an happy life, he had to hold on._

_…_

“Having that vision… dying because of travelers…”

“Wait, dying ?” asked Klaus angry.

“Yes. Anyway, when I came back to life I understood that I had waisted too much time. Going away from you, ignoring you, pretending not to love you anymore… I shouldn’t have. Maybe this is because I came back here at the end. I don’t want die without having looked you in the eyes and say how much I still love you. I don’t want you to die without I can do anything to help you. I want to stay here with you, because you’re my home. You’re home I’m looking for”

“And what about your perfect life with Elena ?” said Klaus a little anger about that story too.

He still hadn’t completely passed over the fact that Stefan choose Elena over him twice. And when Stefan told him about his visions about his perfect life with Elena, Klaus was tempted to go away.  
He was jealous, so terribly jealous that he was asking himself why he hadn’t killed the doppelgänger before. But then Stefan said that things to him and he got calm, remembering that Stefan was there with him and not Elena. That Stefan was here for him, because he still believed that they could be together again. That they still could be something beautiful.   
At the end Stefan always came back to him.

“It was perfect but not perfect enough. Bothe me and Elena love someone else. Maybe our loved ones wouldn’t like living a human life like us, but we accept it because we accept them, their strengths and their faults. We don’t want them to change because in that case it wouldn’t be real. And I love you, because you’re real, because what we had was real. Having that vision made me understand that I had to come back to you. This is because Valerie went away. She understood that there wasn’t any place for her in my heart and that I would have stayed with her only for Lex. She couldn’t accept so she’s gone. What about you ?”

“What about me ?” Klaus laughed then he said “I’m angry. Like always you would say. But I feel in this way. I’m angry because you were right, because I care about you so much that I’m still angry that you have chosen Elena over me. I understand you reasons, trust me, I do. But I’m jealous about you. I don’t accept that someone else had dared to flirt with you when you were alone. I’m angry because you died, someone killed you and i couldn’t rip him or she apart, limb from limb. I’m angry because you had cut me off from your life for nine years. I’m angry because you were nowhere to be found, because you have also changer your number to be sure I can’t contact me. I’m angry because you needed my help and you didn’t ask. I’m angry because I knew falling in love with you was a trouble but I couldn’t stop myself from doing it. I’m angry because I LOVE YOU !! I love you so much that it hurts”

Stefan was wordless. Was that really happening ? Was Klaus really declaring his love for him ? After all that time ?

“I’m angry because I let you go. I’m angry because… I could never though that I was capable of loving someone so deep and so hard, and sometimes this love is so painful that I can barely breath. Because I would live for your smiles, what makes you happy makes me happy too. What scares you or what hurt you I want to tear it apart. I would do anything for you, I soul be everything. I was your enemy once, the sword which passed through your chest only to hurt you but now I’m going to be your shield. If you still want me I will protect you and your boy until the day I die”

Stefan didn’t say anything, he kissed Klaus instead. He stood up and then grabbed Klaus from his T-shirt and then he kissed him. Klaus surrounded his new with his arms and kissed the other back.  
Stefan couldn’t say how much he missed kissing that perfect lips which seemed to match perfectly with his.  
They couldn’t deny anymore, they belonged to each other, they always have. They could fight, they could go aways, hey could hide their feelings behind a wall of lies, they could pretend, they could lie, but at the end their love was stronger than their stubbornness.  
But Stefan wanted to know another thing before.

“Why me ? Klaus… why me and not someone else ? I know why I’ve chosen you. Because you’re a unique creature, you’re a King. You’re my… brother, my best friend, you’re my lover, the only person who always accepted me. But why me ?”

“Because you’re the only one who has always accepted me too, for who I really am. When you met me, that first time, you saw a King while other saw an abomination. You thought I was something beautiful, something to admire and love not to fear or despise. It should be me to question why you had chose me.”

“I don’t think so. As I said I’m… well… there’s nothing special in me.” said Stefan looking down.

Klaus grabbed his chin and made Stefan looking him in the eyes “Look at me, love. Don’t ever say anything like that ever again. You’re special, okay ? You’re special to me. You’re the only person who always accepted me, loved me, even when you hated me you still loved me. You’ve never stopped to believe that there could be something good in me. You’ve never looked at me like I was an abomination. You have listened me, understood me… God… I hurt you in any possible ways and you’re still here in my arms. And I love you”

“Did you really say that ? Twice ?” said Stefan with a bright smile “What happened to the Klaus Mikaelson I used to know ?”

“Oh, let me think…” said Klaus pretending to think “… He had been heartbroken since the man he loved went away from him, then he had become a father, he risked to die a lot of times and he started to go to a psychologist”, He laughed thinking about his “sessions” with Camille.

  
…

_Klaus was knocking at Camille’s door, almost desperately. He had already left Hope at home and he quickly arrived there. He needed what he could consider his best friend - confident. He needed Camille’s help not to screw things up again._  
_The young woman opened the door and she looked surprised when she saw Klaus with messy air and the look of someone who was going to have an heart attack._

_“I need your help” was the first thing Klaus said._

_“Yeah… I can see it. Come in”_

_Klaus nodded than he came inside and sit on Camille’s couch. Camille closed the door, then she sit next to Klaus. She was truly surprised to see Klaus so nervous and so… distraught ? What did happen ? It had to be very serious if it was making Klaus’ legs trembling._

_“Klaus… What’s going on ?” asked Camille with a calm voice._

_Klaus didn’t answer right away, not because he wasn’t ready to reveal his feelings to Camille, she already knew everything about Stefan, his feelings for him and the way he screwed up everything as always._  
_Camille consulted him after having seen him broke down in tears. He had a terrible day, where Stefan’s missing at his side seemed stronger than ever. It was the day after his trial and after a near death experience, he truly needed of Stefan at his side. But the other wasn’t there with him and Klaus felt more lonely than ever._  
_So while Camille was hugging him, he told her everything about the love of his life, about their first met in Chicago, their first kiss, the first time Stefan told him he loved him… he told her anything._  
_Even how he lost him._  
_But now Stefan was there again and he needed her to conquer Stefan’s heart again._

_“He’s back, Camille. He’s back… and I don’t know what to do. I only know that I don’t want to loose him again” answered Klaus with low voice._

_Camille, after few seconds, perfectly understood who Klaus was talking about. There was just one person who could make Klaus behave that way._  
_The Infamous Stefan Salvatore._

_“I met him and… I invited him for a date, this evening. But… I’m scared. What if he doesn’t love me anymore ? What if he doesn’t forgive me for what I did to him ? What if… He had a son and… What if he doesn’t want me to be a part of his life ? What if…”_

_“Klaus, you’re delusional !! Stay calm. Why are you so negative ? Did he refuse your invitation ?” asked Camille._

_“No he didn’t. He accepted.”_

_“Then you can’t say these things. He wouldn’t have accepted your invitation if he hadn’t loved you. I’m sure that… in this moment, he’s nervous and scared as much as you are. Probably he thinks that it’s too late for him too for having a place in your life.”_

_“I can’t loose him again, Camille. He’s the love of my life”_

_“But you didn’t say it to him. Now you have to do it or you’re going to loose him for real.”_

_“I don’t know if I can. I’ve never loved anyone since I met Stefan and I’ve never reveled my feelings to anyone.”_

_“You can. Because you’re Klaus Mikaelson and you can fight for the love of your life”_

_Klaus smiled then he took Camille’s hand. He was still scared about his date with Stefan, but he felt a little better too. Yes, he was Klaus Mikaelson, he could do everything he wanted, he could have everything he wanted and what he wanted was his Stefan back and he would._  
_He would have his Stefan tonight._

...

“You made up the last thing, admit it” said the younger vampire with an astonished look.

“Oh no, I’m completely serious. My friend Camille, yes I said friend, studied psychology and she… well she looked to understand me pretty well too. I like talking with her, she’s smart and gives me good advices, with Hope and… with you”

“Did you talk about me with her ?”

“Believe it or not… I called her before tonight. I asked her how to declare my feelings. She knew I’ve still a lot of problem to admit to be in love with someone. I used to consider love a pathetic humanity habit, but I will never regret to have fallen in love with you. You and Hope are the best things in my life.”

Stefan smiled then he kissed Klaus again.

“So… I can finally say we’re together now ?” asked with a clear happiness in his voice “Or will you let me go again ?”

“Where did you think to go ? I won’t let you go ever again, Ripper. There’s no loophole for you. Unfortunately you fell in love with a stubborn, capricious, spoiled, paranoid, jealous, possessive, complicate older hybrid who loves you with all his heart”

“Well, he’s not so luckier. He’s in love with a vegetarian, weaker, stubborn, boring, , crazy, jealous, control freak younger vampire with funny hair. I think is fear enough”

Klaus grabbed Stefan’s hand and then he said “You’re my everything, Stefan, don’t forget about this. Never”

They kissed and hugged each other. They lounge danced together, and their hands were toughing the other’s body. And that was just the begin. Finally, after all that time, they were finally together. They knew it wouldn’t be easy. There were both complicated and stubborn, but they loved each other enough to pass through anything. They would fight, they would hurt each other with words, but they would love each other too, they would make each other happy. They would create something beautiful. Their happiness. Their everything.

…

_Klaus was irritated, truly irritated and bored. He had been seeing his sister and her new stupid friend having fun together all night._  
_God only knew how much jealous he was in that moment. How could that guy kiss and touch his poor little sister in that way ? Would he take her away from him ?_  
_Klaus would never let it happen._  
_How Rebekah managed to convince him to come there tonight was still a mystery to Klaus._  
_But Bekah looked truly happy with him. She was in love with him already and Klaus couldn’t accept it. He didn’t accept that man with that ridiculous hair and he would never do._  
_He moved toward them and he grabbed Rebekah by arm._

_“It’s late Rebekah, I…”_

_“Get off me !” said Rebekah getting free._

_Rebekah was truly anger with him in that moment, but Klaus couldn’t care less. He wanted take her far far away from that freak show._  
_The clown himself stood up, ready to start a quarrel with him, but Rebekah stop him._

_“Stefan don’t, he’ll kill you. Nik’s is lot stronger than he looks”_

_Stefan was looking at him with curiosity. Who was that guy ? What did he want from them ? He didn’t look so strong, but Stefan followed Rebekah’s advice._  
_Whoever the blondie was, he emanated power and danger and he scared Rebekah, so he followed her advice._

_“So this is the famous Stefan Salvatore I’ve been hearing so much about…” he looked at Rebekah and said “You’re right he does have funny hair.”_

_Stefan laughed with irony, without saying anything. That block was a dick and he wanted to make him shut up with a strong punch right in his face._  
_Klaus remained pleased by other silence. If the baby block had dared to talk him back he would have killed him instantly._

_“I’m bored. I want to go home”_

_“Then go without me, I’m not your girlfriend”_

_“No, you’re my sister, which means you have to do as I say”_

_Then Klaus looked at Stefan with challenge, as he was daring him to fight against him. But Stefan didn’t attack him, he just looked at him with curiosity, then he smiled, like he was an old friend._  
_And that was just the begin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody !!! Thanks to everyone who had followed and read my story until the end ! I know the end is quite predictable but I truly wanted to give them an happy ending together, since they will never be together in TVD series.  
> I hope not to have disappointed you either.  
> Thanks again and Klefan always and forever !!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello !! I thank you for reading my story and I hope you have found it interesting enough. I suppose is not so much "original" but I have been trying to write a story about Klefan and I hope the result is not so terrible. I love Klefan and it's a shame that there aren't so many stories about them because they're a beautiful couple, with a great potential.  
> I'm sorry for grammatical errors, but English is not my first language and if you make me noticed mistakes I would correct them as quickly as possible.  
> Thank you again.


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